Announcement About Announcements!!!

We are experiencing a tremendous growth in the number of activities in our congregation, which is a wonderful thing! 

However, the number of extra announcements this has created on Sunday morning is a challenge. We have had conflicts with our Religious Education classes and with having enough time to complete our planned services. 

For this reason, the Worship and Music Committee has a three-fold plan to help us keep Sunday announcements to relatively few. 

First, we ask that you submit announcements and calendar items that are planned well in advance to the Lighted Chalice (deadline is the last Sunday of the month, and covers the entire coming month).

For more up-to-the-minute announcements, there is space in the Order of Service each Sunday for both types of items. 

In addition, our administrative assistant can send out all-church e-mails for items that are urgent and/or time sensitive. 

Finally, we will still allow a brief amount of time at the beginning of services for brief announcements that are urgent. Our goal is to limit to five the number of these announcements to include on Sunday morning.  THANK YOU for your help!

                        --Elizabeth Sternke, Chair

                        Worship & Music Committee

LUM Report

Homeless Shelter:

The Homeless Shelter is in need of coffee and sugar as well as socks (white athletic tube style) and disposable razors.

Office Needs:

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

Food Pantry:

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.

Tax Helpers Needed

Tax season is in full swing at LUM. LUM is seeking volunteers to help qualified individuals prepare their taxes. Contact Patti O'Callaghan if you or someone you know would be interested in such a volunteer opportunity. Training is provided.

-Mary Finley, LUM representative

Atheism Group Schedule

The Atheism Discussion Group will meet from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of February in Room 4. On the 8th we will discuss Foucault's critique of reason and modernity. On the 22nd we will discuss the evolution of female sexuality. Please contact JC  for more information.

Sunday Morning Forum

As we move into February, we continue our discussion of national and global issues: Finding an exit strategy in Iraq, deciding the future of stem cell research and considering ways to slow global warming. We know that there are ethical issues being raised about stem cell research in our country. Do people who follow the Koran face similar issues?

February 4

“Public Opinion and the Way Out of Iraq” with Berenice Carroll

February 11

“The Ethics of Stem Cell Research” with Jim Leary

February 18

“Embryology: Science and the Koran” with Saieb Alrawi

February 25 

“Getting People to Do Something about Global Warming” with Marty Patchen

Report from the Finance Committee

The Finance Committee met on January 17 to discuss a revised budget for 2007 with up-to-date input from the pledge drive and with a better idea of the end of year 2006 budget.

We are happy to report that owing to the success of the pledge drive and the generosity of the congregation we were able to construct a budget that puts us well on our way to achieving the Church's goals.

The choir director position is now fully funded, the future space/mortgage line has been increased to its original level, and a healthcare line has been added for the executive assistant position.

The committee is in the process of finalizing the budget and it will be forwarded to the Board for discussion. The committee thanks the congregation for valuable input to the process and for providing a clear direction to pursue.

Consider Joining Music and Worship Committee!

 Will you consider joining us on the Music and Worship Committee?

Participation does NOT require that you speak before the congregation or perform music.

Rather, you could play a variety of roles in the effort to deliver a healing, uplifting Sunday morning worship experience.

While on this committee, you will have the chance to work directly with our minister, Hilary Krivchenia, in discussing and planning services at our monthly meetings. Many times, participating on this committee is an excellent leadership development experience for people. Often our members have served on the committee for two or three years and then moved on to provide leadership in other areas of our church.

 Some of the different roles of members of the Music and Worship Committee:

The Worship Coordinator pulls together all the elements of the service. The Worship Associate offers the "welcome and announcements." Both of these roles require public speaking, but not public speaking experience. We will help you prepare!

On the other hand, the Sanctuary Preparer comes to church a little early and helps with last minute arrangements for the service, such as who will take up the offering, confirm who will light the chalice, and sets up the candles, flowers and makes sure the pulpit is set up as needed for the service. This person may also help coordinate with the sound volunteer regarding the microphone needs for the service. This is a good example of committee work this does NOT require people to be in the spotlight as a speaker.

Naturally, we also welcome those congregants who would like to contribute to conducting our lay lead services or who would like to assist Hilary as a worship associate or a reader. 

Please contact Elizabeth Sternke or Martha Gipson if you are interested in volunteering with us, or if you have questions about the opportunity. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sanctuary Preparation and Worship Associate Trainings!

The Worship and Music Committee will be presenting two short trainings in February for people interested in helping prepare the sanctuary space before services and/or interested in reading the announcements and offering a welcome at the beginning of services. 

Both trainings will be held on Sunday mornings at 9:45 and will last no more than 30 minutes. The dates are as follows:

Feb. 4: Sanctuary Preparation

Leaders:  Nina Kirkpatrick and Martha Gipson

Feb. 18: Worship Associate

Leaders: Elizabeth Sternke and Martha Gipson

 February Worship and Music Committee Meeting

At our February meeting, the Worship and Music Committee will begin our work of transitioning plans for our new sanctuary space. 

If at all possible, we will be meeting at the current St. Andrew’s Church at 333 Meridian St., West Lafayette. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 15 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. 

Please contact Elizabeth Sternke, or Martha Gipson, if you are interested in attending and wish to confirm the time and place of our meeting. 

Program Council Welcomes All

The Program Council functions as a forum where all groups can gather to keep up-to-date on church happenings and introduce ideas to address church needs. 

The next Program Council next meeting is Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m. in Room 1.  Please contact Alanna Steffen, to add an agenda item or if you have any questions.  All are welcome.

Transitions Group Planning Church Move

The first meeting of Transitions will be Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 6:30 p.m. in the sanctuary.

The Transitions group has been created to make the transition from of current building to our new building as smooth as possible. To ensure a successful move the work of this group will need to be congregation-wide. All are welcome and encouraged to come to the Transitions meeting. Please direct questions to Alanna Steffen

Heartland District Spring Conference & Annual Meeting

"Connecting the Dots - Interconnections in our UU World"

March 30-31, 2007

Grand Rapids, MI

Keynote speaker: Gini Courter, UUA Moderator

Workshops, worship opportunities, meet other UUs

To register, go to www.heartlanduu.org

Welcome back, Karin Bergman!

The Personnel Committee is delighted to announce that Karin Bergman has rejoined our church staff as administrative assistant.  

Her office hours are Monday, 8:30 am to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.   Karin worked at the church previously during 2005 and 2006.   

In addition to her part time position with UUC, she is also employed at the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette as their administrative assistant.  Karin’s educational background is in psychology and archaeology.  Her bachelor’s degree is in Psychology and Anthropology and her master’s degree is in Psychology, with additional graduate work in archaeology. She has worked as a field archaeologist at Purdue and also for the State of Indiana, creating an archeological database of all archaeological sites in the state.

Karin lives in Battle Ground with her four-legged family members-- two dogs and two cats.

Next time you are in the church, stop by and say hello to Karin and welcome her back.

Joan Marshall

On behalf of the Personnel Committee

Change for Change – February

Tippecanoe County Health Clinic

The need for accessible health care in our community was recognized by Dr. Wendell Riggs almost 20 years ago.

In 1988, he established the Tippecanoe Community Health Clinic as a medical facility for new mothers and infants. Today it is a comprehensive primary healthcare facility, providing medical care for all age groups, newborns to the elderly. Board certified physicians, nurse practitioners, RNs, LPNs, and medical assistants provide services to a large low-income population.

A minimum fee of $15 is charged for services, though no one is denied care for lack of funds, and a sliding scale based on income is used to set patient fees.

In 2005, 8,191 patients were served with 35,615 encounters. (In the first year of service, 240 patients with 1,143 encounters were seen in the clinic.) Hispanic translators are available to assist non-English speaking patients.

The clinic offers several special programs, including:

·        MAP (Medical Assistance Program), through which patients are matched with drug companies in order to receive medications free or at a very reduced price.

·        A Health Care Referral Service, which matches patients in need of advanced care with 140 participating physician specialists.

·        A dental clinic providing basic, preventive and restorative dental services.

·        The Baby Corner, where pregnant women, new mothers, and children can redeem “baby bucks” for items, such as diapers, clothes, car seats, etc.

·        Homeless Health Outreach, through which two RNs provide health services to residents in seven homeless shelters.

·        Pharmacotherapy, offered in collaboration with Purdue, which helps patients know what to expect when taking their medications.

·        A dietitian, who provides nutritional assessment and counseling.

Our Change for Change coins will impact the lives of many residents in our community who would otherwise be denied access to medical care, services that so many of us take for granted. Please give generously.

Social Responsibility

Thank you for your donations of mittens, hats, scarves.  They were delivered to the Tippecanoe County Childcare.  They were most appreciative during this cold spell.

Caring Cans

Donations of non-perishable food items are always needed, canned vegetables and fruits, soup, staples.  The Food Pantry also needs cereal. 

Our church traditionally supplies low sugar or sugar-free fruit and other sugar-free items. Please keep this in mind when shopping for the pantry items. No glass containers please. Place food items in the designated box under the coat rack downstairs near the back door.

Social Justice

The Social Justice Committee will meet on Thursday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m. in Room 4. The main focus of the meeting will be long-range planning. All interested UUs are invited to participate.

Women’s Shelter Needs 

The Women’s Shelter is in need of sheets, towels, and blankets. The donation box is located in the hallway near the kitchen. Thank you for your ongoing support of the Domestic Violence Intervention and Prevention Program.

Pastoral Care Group Offers Training:

Growing in Connection and Community

The Pastoral Care Group is pleased to offer a Pastoral Care Associates Training led by Reverend Hilary Landau Krivchenia.  

This is offered for anyone who has ever has had an occasion to offer support to another person, anyone who has questions about offering support, anyone who might want to consider becoming involved in Pastoral Care in the congregation, and anyone who thinks that at some point, they will find themselves wanting to deepen their sense of connection and community through our ministry to one another.

This three-session course will be filled with useful basics from Ethics and Legal Issues in pastoral care, hospital and shut in visiting, pastoral care in times of grief, in situations of death and dying, care in times of disaster, unemployment, problem solving, and self-care for caregivers. This course will pack in a lot of material, will be stimulating, and will provide time for discussion.

If you are interested, please call the church office and register with Karin, our secretary, at 742-0460 – you can leave a message.

The class will meet from 3-6 p.m. on February 4, 18, and March 4 – at church -- location to be decided.

UUs urged to attend ‘Prevention Now’ rally on Feb. 8

Please sign up now to attend the "Prevention Now" rally at the Statehouse on Thursday, Feb. 8.

This is a great opportunity to speak out for positive, effective measures to improve access to birth control and sexuality education.

The rally is being sponsored by a statewide coalition of groups including the League of Women Voters, ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and Indiana Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (IRCRC). Our congregation is a member of IRCRC.

Prior to the rally, a worship service will be held entitled "Sacred Values: A Multi-Faith Celebration of Freedom, Health and Justice."

Our minister, Hilary, is helping to plan the service. Other friends and members of our congregation are involved in the rally, too, including Mary Lempke, who will be a featured speaker.

Buses have been arranged in many cities around the state, including the Lafayette area. Buses will leave at 8:30 a.m. and return at 4 p.m. To reserve your seat on the bus ($20), go to www.ppin.org/prevention.

A decision about the final number of buses must be made soon, so make your reservation as soon as possible. Even if you are not riding the bus, please go online and register for the rally. For more information contact Kaye McSpadden

MINISTER’s MUSE

We’ve developed a tradition at the church of having “Church Mice” – people who pitch in to do work that may go unnoticed but has an impact on our congregational life. 

Well, lately I’ve been feeling like when the Board asks each other who to name as church mice – the list keeps getting longer. 

It seems as though more and more people are pitching in – more and more getting tasks done as well as bringing insight and enthusiasm to the table. It seems like we have a lot of mice. Some are doing work that’s pretty big. 

I almost feel like we ought to have a big cheese party – to celebrate all the contributions in this church. 

If you look over the last year and reviewed all that’s been accomplished and all that’s underway you’ll be amazed – I know I am.  From the database, to a truly successful canvass, to social justice, to the purchase of the new building and so many others things both large and small – this church is getting things done.

At the same time there seems to be an endless list of new things to do – sometimes dreamy, creative, playful things and sometimes those nitty gritty details that lack that certain je ne sais quoi and yet must be done. 

So, while wondering if a snowfall in the night is going to mean that someone needs to shovel our walk before church in the morning, I want to invite you to do a couple of things. 

One is to look around and see what you can do – not what needs to be done that you think that someone else ought to do – just go ahead and do it – or ask a someone to help you. 

For example, I noticed that the Christmas tree and other decorations are still in the entry way.  Perhaps you kindly put the tree up but have been swamped ever since.  Perhaps the person who put it up has been under the weather or away. 

It might be a good deed to pitch in and put it away. Even if you weren’t the person.  Or if you are – don’t feel awkward – it’s okay to ask someone else to take it down. 

Recently I’ve noticed that when I come in during the week – it looks like someone’s been cleaning the kitchen.  I can’t be sure who it is – but I’m grateful that someone recognizes that this needs doing and has taken it on. 

And each week I’m grateful to the people who set up the sanctuary for the service.  I know it isn’t a task that takes a long time – but it makes a world of difference – especially the service leader. 

And then there are the greeters!  Like I said – so many mice – including the ones doing this newsletter.

But the other thing I want to invite you to do is to take time and join in some activity at church that isn’t only on Sunday morning – whether it’s a potluck, Timely Unitarian Universalist Topics, Scripture, Fiber Arts, reading group -- open the newsletter, it’s full of offerings!

Don’t be shy.  You’re welcome to join in.  It’s not just another block of your time – it’s a chance to refuel yourself and to connect with the great people who are here. That’s a pleasure in itself – but also a way to remember why the nitty-gritty details need to get done – to create a space for spiritual and intellectual growth, religious education, social justice, feasting, playing, for service and for reflection.

And there’s one more thing.  I keep remembering the idea that I am bringing up Sunday that change ripples out from us – but it depends upon what we envision and what we choose. 

So take time to envision – not the small stuff – not what’s wrong that needs to be fixed – not someplace else but here – take time to envision this congregation in the future – ten or twenty years from now. 

Write it down, share your ideas with a friend.  Listen to and encourage someone else’s vision.  Imagine a place where all these deep visions become real. Let it be real in your mind’s eye. 

Have You Thanked A Youth Today?

This fall saw the creation of the Youth Social Action Group. Consisting of the Bams (6th through 8th graders: “Bam” refers to their substantial energy), this gang of kids has gone from one good deed to another for the entire fall semester.  In just a few short months, the Bams have:

·        Made a LUM dinner 

·        Read to children at the library 

·        Raised money for Jubilee Christmas 

·        Shopped for Jubilee Christmas 

·        Served at the Jubilee Christmas 

·        Babysat at CRFC 

·        Participated in a Clean-Up at Happy Hollow Park 

·        and most recently painted and raked at the clean-up at the Union Street house. 

Why are they doing it?  There are several reasons. 

One is that our teens are good people who want to make a contribution to the community and the church. They see the adults of the UU engaging in charitable work all the time, and it is clear to them that Unitarian Universalists do not merely pay lip service to our covenant “to help one another,” they act on that promise. 

The second is that they like to have a reason to hang out together. Not only do the Bams enjoy each other’s company while they work, but they usually have some sort of post-work fun, like sledding or a party. 

We must not take them (or the adults who help them) for granted, however.  They deserve recognition and thanks for their efforts. 

At the turn of the last century, it would not have been unusual for an adult to respond to that idea by saying, “Why should we reward children for doing what they are supposed to do?  They should do what they are told.” 

The Bams are becoming young adults and what they are doing is volunteer work, not a church-mandated mission. Certainly, they take some pride in seeing what they accomplish, but they are giving up recreation time, and as we all know, work is work!

If the kids are not recognized for their accomplishments, if they are ordered instead of asked, and if we don’t give them a chance to have a little fun afterwards, they’ll feel unappreciated, get sour, and quit. 

So, when you catch youth helping out, give them a smile and a good word.  We have some great kids at this church!

 February Religious Education Teaching Schedule 

OWL February Schedule

Note the change of place!

Time: 3:00 – 6:30 

February 18 @  Mental Health Association Building on the corner of Ninth and South

February 25 @  Red Cross Building 

Please call if not attending! 

Kris Taylor                                          Volker Thomas

Capital Campaign Committee Underway

The Capital Campaign Committee met on January 18, 2007 to begin planning for the upcoming campaign to raise funds needed for transition to our new building at Meridian Street in West Lafayette later this year. 

While many people were part of the original campaign in 2000 and others were included in the second ask in 2004, there are many more people (about 50% of the current pledging units) that have not had the opportunity to contribute to our new building. 

The original campaign was a three-year endeavor. During the second ask people were invited to extend their contributions by the equivalent of one year of their original pledge. 

This upcoming campaign will provide an opportunity for all current members and friends to contribute to funding for necessary renovations, purchasing new items, and paying for the move itself. 

In addition, we need to be prepared for the final payment due later this year on the purchase price of the new building. Everyone is invited to contribute to this exciting new step. We particularly invite those to the upcoming campaign who were only part of the second ask of the previous campaign and those who have not been part of either campaign to join our tradition of giving and growth.

The campaign will begin later in the spring, so now is the time for each of you to think about what our new church home means to you and what you are able and willing to contribute to its realization.

      Edie Pierce-Thomas and Volker Thomas, Co-Chairs

Plan Now for Passover Seder

It's not too soon to mark your calendars for this year's UU Passover Seder, which will be held at the church on Sunday, April 1 .  Gathering time will be at 4:30 p.m. with the Seder service starting at 5 p.m.

This three-hour event is a blend of the traditional Passover service/meal and UU beliefs. Children of all ages are welcome to this event or, if you choose, child-care will be available for ages 5 and under.

In keeping with the Seder tradition, we will be asking participants to bring specific Passover foods. This has worked well for us in past years where most items were easily found at Marsh stores.   

Also needed are three people to come early at 4 p.m. to help as food is brought in.  This is a very simple task that only requires a half-hour commitment.  If you have never volunteered, this is a good way to get started.

Please remember to bring your own table service including plates, silverware, and bowls for Matzo Ball soup!

A reservation by Sunday, March 25 is required, as we need to know how much food will be needed. JoAnn Darling, our heroic Seder chair of past years, has this year passed the torch to the new Seder chair, Jill Salem.  Please RSVP with your name, telephone number, and the number of people who will be attending (including # children and whether they will require childcare) to Jill

                                          --Jill Salem

Board Highlights

January 16, 2007 Meeting

• Approved contract to hire Karin Bergman as Administrative Assistant

• Reviewed 2007 Change-for-Change recipients

• Researching Sturgis rules on budgetary amendments

• Re-iterated who is authorized to write checks: Janice Kritchevsky, Volker Thomas, and Gale Kvam

• Easlers are new nursery supervisory team

• Discussed suggestion to pay volunteers who fill in for paid pianist.

• Found a board meeting time when board members could arrange their schedules to attend and not conflict with other scheduled meetings

• Plan to develop church policy on over-scheduling other meetings

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

Church Mouse Awards  

The Church Mouse Award for January goes to the personnel committee: Joan Marshall, Noemi Ybarra; Dianna Poindexter, Lynn Richardson, Janice Kritchevsky, and Rosemary Leary for their skillful and expedient handling of the administrative assistant position vacancy. 

Another Church Mouse Award goes to Gale Lockwood for her hard work in preparing and coordinating the Christmas Pageant, which was wonderful and enjoyed by all those who participated and attended. We greatly appreciate all those who do so much for our congregation.

Time to order coffee

At least one UU needs more coffee, so we will place an order with Equal Exchange as soon as enough orders are received. 

We need to order 4-5 cases in order to save on shipping and handling. [A case holds six 12-oz bags.]  If you would like to order coffee, please place your order with Karin, our new Administrative Assistant via email, in her mailbox or on her desk.

 For prices and to see the variety of coffees, teas and hot chocolate that are available, see www.equalexchange.com.

Thanks for a Clean Union Street!

Many, many thanks to the 20 adults and about a dozen youth who showed up for the work day at the Union Street property on Saturday to help get it into shape for putting on the market.  There was much scrubbing, sweeping, painting, raking and hauling.

Special thanks to Doug McKnight who got the drain working, Kyler Laird who got the lights on and Mark VanMeter who supervised a crew of teenagers who got a whole room painted in one day.

     Much hard work and a lot of fellowship went into a job well done.

     We have moved one step closer to our goal of selling the property so we can move to our new building.

     A big thank you to all who helped.

                                    --Mark Krivchenia and Caroline Barnhart, Co-chairs  

Book Group

7 p.m., Monday, February 12, 2007

       “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe

7 p.m., Monday, March 12, 2007

        “In the Heart of the Sea” by Nathaniel Phildrick

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. 

For more information contact Dagmar Murray

Friends of the UUA Phonathon

Dear UU Ministers, Board Presidents, and Administrators,

We would prefer that no one would be surprised to receive a fundraising call from Friends of the UUA, so we ask that you please share this information with the members of your congregation through a mention in your congregational newsletter or other announcements.

As a supplement to periodic mailings, Friends of the UUA will be conducting a fundraising phonathon beginning the week of February 19th and continuing through the third week in March.  Outreach Associates, a telemarketing firm located in Pittsburgh, will be phoning members who are currently active Friends of the UUA to ask them to renew their support.

Theme:  Progress Report on Tapestry of Faith Lifespan Curriculum

Our contract with this firm requires that all callers must be courteous, respectful, and succinct as they offer identified Unitarian Universalists an opportunity to support our Association directly.  Your feedback about the calls will help us to monitor their quality. We have established a Friends Phonathon Hotline to facilitate that feedback:  Members may call (617) 948-6525 to leave a message to ask to be placed on the "no call" list or to share a comment directly with a UUA staff member.

Your willingness to support the UUA enhances our ability to provide services and programs to member congregations and presents avenues for future growth of Unitarian Universalism throughout the country. If this phonathon is occurring at an inappropriate time for Friends of the UUA to be contacting members of your congregation, please let me know by return email before February 5, 2007.

With gratitude,

Cynthia Salloway, Director

Friends of the Unitarian Universalist Association

Stewardship & Development

After Church All- Church Potluck

It’s not just about soup any more!*

The Last Sunday of the Month

February 25^th

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!