Stevens Point
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
November / December 2007 Newsletter
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Presidents’ Report – Carol Weston & Julia Weiser
We've had an excellent start to this fiscal year: UU ministers and community professionals have provided thoughtful services, new RE curriculums were purchased, two RE programs are running to meet the needs of the children, and our new membership services consultant has been a huge behind the scene help for our volunteers! All of this action is a reflection of the scope of services and programs members said they wanted for this Fellowship. The members of this Fellowship took a risk this year when approving a budget in May of 2007, that was $3,000 over what was pledged. Our budget this year is $17,140. The main incentive for approving this budget was the additional cost involved in hiring a part time administrative consultant, whose purpose is to help with the weekly work of the Fellowship. The goal being, to lighten the load of our leaders. We think it is safe to say that approving a deficit budget was an expression of support by members on the important work of the volunteers and the Fellowship itself.  It is important EVERY year to follow through with the financial commitment pledged at the beginning of a new fiscal year; however, this year because of the increase in the budget it is critical.  As of Oct 14th, expenditures have been a little over $3,000; pledged income has only been $1,187.94.  If you haven't made any payments on your pledges, now would be a very helpful time to do so.  Please thoughtfully consider your commitment to this Fellowship and send in your contributions soon.  We'd also like to encourage you to remember the Fellowship as the calendar year comes to a close in case you wish to make additional contributions to the Fellowship for tax purposes. The Fellowship is a 501 (C(3) organization so all contributions are tax deductible.

New Member Ceremony - November 18th
A New Member Welcoming ceremony has been scheduled for November 18th.  If you have questions on what it means to become a member of the Fellowship, expectations of membership, or how to join the Fellowship, please contact Carol Weston 345-1735 / cweston@charter.net  or Julia Weiser 344-7769 / weiserj@charter.net 

Area Rug Needed
The flooring in the nursery room was replaced with new linoleum tile. It really brightens up the room, it looks great!  We want to add a small area rug to add some warmth and provide a more comfortable spot for sitting on the floor for the children.  Please let us know if you have a clean area rug that you would be willing to donate to the Fellowship.

Special Services & Holiday Schedule
There are a few special services scheduled these next two months. We have two intergenerational services with pot lucks, Nov 18 and Dec 16th.  These services are held in the basement fellowship hall and are very interactive in nature. They are geared toward having children and adults working together on projects and sharing information that help communicate the theme of the service.  The two intergenerational services are:

• Nov 18th, Guest At Your Table Thanksgiving Celebration

• Dec 16th, Winter Holidays Celebration

Please bring a dish to pass and your own eating utensils so we can enjoy a pot luck lunch together after these services.

We've also schedule a brunch at International House of Pancakes, December 23rd.  There will NOT be a traditional service that Sunday morning.  We encourage members who are in town to get together for food and relaxation on December 23rd.  The Springs will be having a traditional Christmas Eve service on December 24th at 7:00 pm and we are all invited to attend this service.

There will be no service  Dec 30th.  Services begin again on Sunday, Jan 6th.

Holiday Basket
Once again, the Fellowship is sponsoring two holiday baskets this year.  We haven't received word yet on the details of our family but we know we'll need to supply approximately $150 worth of food for each family, as well as clothing and /or toys for the children. It will take the help of many to meet the needs of the families. We will be collecting for Holiday Basket in November and December. Additional information on our families will be shared once we have the details.  Mary Arnold is coordinating the Holiday Basket effort. Contact Mary at 715-435-3188 / hgarnold@wctc.net if you want more specifics on the Holiday Baskets or details on how you can help!

Planning Your Memorial Service - January 13
How well have you planned for your own death? Are you going to be buried or cremated? Where will your service be held? Do you have special songs, readings or hymns you want at your service? Who do you want to participate at your service?  These questions and more need to be decided for a memorial service.  The more planning we do ourselves a head of time, the less stress our family and friends will experience when we die. To help you prepare for your memorial service, the Fellowship is holding a workshop on "Planning Your Own Memorial Service" on Sunday, January 13th, 1:00 - 3:00 pm. at The Springs. Registration is required and there is a nominal fee of $5.00 to cover the cost of materials and lunch.

A large amount of materials have been collected and a local funeral home will help facilitate the workshop. However, we are looking for volunteers to help us shift through the information, plan out the workshop and put together packets for participants.  Contact Clara, Julia or Carol if you would like to help prepare for the workshop and/or if you would like to register for the workshop.

Fellowship Meeting
A number of issues are pending this fall that the board believes needs member action. Some of the items were generated at the May Annual Meeting and a few have developed this fall. A membership meeting will be scheduled soon to allow voting on the following:

• Green Statement

• Outline of Facility Needs and Contracting with Architect for Determining Land Needed

• Stipends for Coordinators

• Increasing Community Collections

Information on these issues will be available at services in November.  Members who do not pick up the materials at the services, will be mailed copies.  Please contact a board member if you have questions about any of these issues.

Voices of a Liberal Faith
The UUA has produced a 20 minute video as part of its national ad campaign promoting Unitarian Universalism. The video is an introduction to Unitarian Universalism, through the words, music and stories of UUs throughout the country.  The video is available at the SPUUF website at:  http://www.spuuf.org/aboutus.htm  

Discussion Groups & Blogs
Members are encouraged to discuss shared topics of interest with each other through online discussion forums, emails or blogs. We provide member emails to members, to encourage communication between members. Online communication is a part of our Strategic Plan. If you think you'd like to start a discussion group or blog on a particular issue, go for it! Just make sure you have a group of people who want to participate before you begin. There is an established Fellowship discussion forum called  SPUUF_Discussion at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SPUUF_Discussion/   This discussion forum was created to encourage members to discuss any and every topic. It doesn't have a particular focus. It hasn't been used lately, but it is an option to you.

If you would like to participate in an existing, active forum, Dave Johnson has a private discussion group composed of people from all over the U.S. Dave's discussion group has a political, travel, religious and current events focus with a humanist bent. It is a forum for people to vent their frustrations, ask questions and get other people's opinions on the above issues. The discussion group is very random and is moderated by Dave.  Contact Dave at  pinefarm@uniontel.net  if you'd like to join or learn more about his discussion group.

To help you understand the dynamics of online communication, it might be helpful to check out the following Netiquette websites before you begin.

http://www.albion.com/netiquette/ 
http://www.dtcc.edu/cs/rfc1855.html

Thank You to Our Members -
Our members have been very busy volunteering their time, talents and resources for the Fellowship. 

• Julia Weiser wrote a wonderful article on the children's religious exploration programs for the Stevens Point Journal

• Corey and Kate Searles shared the fruits of their cranberry crop with members

• Jenny Howard, Clara Cleve, Carol Weston, Ron Chapman, Kelly Mortenson, Erin Tschida, Molly McKay and Douglas who worked together to clean the basement and put back together the nursery room

• Carolyn Greenlee for leading the youth discussion forum on Asian Religions, which is now meeting every other week

• Bill Hettler, Julia Weiser, Carol Weston and Jenny Howard for leading RE programs

• Jenny Howard and Mary Arnold for coordinating the opening and closing of the church for our weekly services and all the individual members who have helped set up and bring snacks

• Clara Cleve, Rae Canfield and Carol Weston for acting as Monthly Service Coordinators

• Dorothy Ginnett and Kelly Mortenson for coordinating the children's RE program

• Thank you to all who included names to remember for Dia de los Muertos. Although Julia did not get a chance to acknowledge them after the service on Oct. 28th, she did place the cards in the decoration the children made. The decorated "gravestones" were outside Julia's house the whole next week. Julia hopes to celebrate this holiday of remembrance again with the entire Fellowship.

With only one paid Membership Services Consultant, the tasks of running a small Fellowship falls on our collective shoulders.  Thank you to everyone for being a part of this Fellowship and the care and concern your show for its continued growth!

Committee News
Board Meeting
The next board meeting is schedule at 8:45 am at the Plover MacDonalds on Sunday, November 11th.  Please send your agenda items to the board by Wednesday, November 7th.

Religious Exploration (RE)
The following is an article written by Julia Weiser for the Stevens Point Journal which appeared in the October 13th edition.

 “Spirit of Adventure: UU Identity”, an interactive curriculum for children in grades 1-6, uses an active, hands on approach to teach the Unitarian Universalist principles via the theme of sports, medicine, food, science, architecture, holidays, and the web of life.  This program encourages children to interact with their community, their environment, and the world around them; as they do so, they will grow both spiritually and ethically.  They will celebrate a variety of holiday traditions with the local congregation. 

The local Unitarian Universalist Fellowship has chosen this multi age curriculum for its weekly Sunday Religious Exploration program this season.  Some of the themes used to teach UU identity include Medicine – taking care of others and keeping each other safe, Food – using science to prepare food and nurturing others, Winter Holidays – being kind and generous, Science – using reason and being curious, Sports – teamwork and good sportsmanship to name a few.  The teachable moments are not intended to be memorizations but to use individuals’ lives which exemplify a Unitarian Universalist identity.   

The Sharing Circle, or Council Circle as it is called in this curriculum is central to the educational experience.  It comes toward the end of each session and provides a time to reflect on the experiences of the group project and a time to share with one another.   Sharing, reflecting, and listening are important skills we like to cultivate with our children.  The Council Circle is also an opportunity where the children can be commended for helpful and respectful behavior.        

The older students have chosen to meet monthly to discuss their emerging ideas on what religion means to them.  We encourage personal exploration on human and spiritual issues and allow the youth a chance to articulate their current beliefs in a welcoming and accepting environment.  They will be using the curriculum “Sacred Threads: an Asian Religions Curriculum for High School Youth.”  Students will be introduced to some of the basic concepts, beliefs, and practices of major Asian religions.  The goals for participants are to identify basic characteristics of Asian religions and how they are similar to and different from each other, to understand aspects of the religions which are also a part of Unitarian Universalism, and to explore how these religions are or are not relevant to the participants’ own lives.   

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is lay led and uses guest ministers, community professionals, and its own members to present the weekly services.  The Fellowship strives for diverse programming in order to share a variety of points of view on spiritual, religious, and other humanitarian topics.   

The Fellowship meets on Sundays at 11 am from September through May at The Springs, 2820 Plover Springs Drive, Plover.  For more information contact 344-1360 or go to the website at www.spuuf.org.  

Green Sanctuary
Interesting Water Facts

• 1.5 billion barrels of oil per year are needed to make plastic bottles for bottle water in the U.S. - enough to fuel 100,000 cars

• Even more fuel is needed to transport water to vendors.

• Approximately 40% of bottled water starts out as tap water.

• Only 23% of plastic water bottles are recycled.

• The U.S. has excellent municipal water systems . The local area is no exception.

• Reuse the bottles you have or purchase more permanent receptacles to transport your drinking water.

• Buying bottled water supports water privatization. Water belongs to all of us - it is part of the commons, our birthright as humans on this planet.

Community Events

• Fundraising with Hudson's - The Springs is participating with Hudson's Classic Grill fundraising program. Anytime you dine at Hudson's bring your receipt to the church office. The Springs will then submit all the original receipts to Hudson's on a monthly basis to receive a check equal to 10% of our total receipts before tax and tip.

·         Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers, 11^th Annual Prepare Ye Concert, Sunday, Nov 25
2:00 – 3:30 pm, St. Bronislava Parish, 3200 Plover Rd, Plover, WI  Combined choir with singers from Monteverdi Master Chorale, WI Master Chorale, First Congregational U.C.C., Trinity Lutheran, Redeemer Lutheran, Celebration Church, Newman Disciples, St. Bronislava Parish, Church of the Intercession, Frame Presbyterian and more. Proceeds of free will offering will go to Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers.

Point of View
Point of View is the member section of the newsletter. Information shared in the Point of View is diverse and does not reflect the official position of the Fellowship on any topic. The intent of this section is to provide a forum for sharing all points of view on spiritual, religious and other issues which relate to our 7 Principles, in order to facilitate continued personal search for truth and discussion among members and friends.

"Should We Thank the Turkey?" from the November 2007  Quest, a publication from The Church of the Larger Fellowship.

Thanksgiving is an awkward time for religious skeptics. It is a holiday that leads many of us to ask a distinctly theological question: “Who or what do I thank?”

In a traditional American family, everyone gathers at the table and says a prayer of thanks to God. But this is not the only way of doing things. In many hunting and gathering societies the custom is to thank the animal itself for giving its life to become food for the family or the tribe. In this way, one could argue, the middle man is eliminated. In a polytheistic culture, a person has the difficulty of determining exactly which god to thank. The cultures of the world practice a wide variety of rituals and prayers of thanksgiving. So you do not have to feel overly self-conscious if you become a little confused at the next Thanksgiving dinner. “Should I thank God or the turkey?” you might ask yourself. A pantheist might try to eliminate the problem saying “God is everything!” but I personally do not feel comfortable saying “God is a turkey,” at least, not in front of Grandma.

Do I sound irreverent? I hope not. I simply find the spiritual pluralism of our planet to be delightfully bewildering.

Excerpted from “Should We Thank the Turkey?” in Roller-Skating As a Spiritual Discipline, by Christopher Buice, minister of the Tennessee Valley UU Church in Knoxville, TN.

Submitted by Carol Weston; contact her at 715-345-1735 if you have questions or comment on this submission.

CMwD News
UU Women Fall Conference, Celebrating 25 Yrs, “Feel the Rhythm”, Nov 9-11, 2007  A printable PDF flyer on the retreat is available at: http://www.uuwomensconnection.org/PDFS/UUWomensConn_07_flyer.pdf

UUSC Holiday Cards 
As families celebrate the tradition of Guest at Your Table, many are preparing for the holidays. You can share special holiday greetings with your loved ones, while helping to make a difference in our world, by purchasing UUSC holiday cards. Visit http://www.uusc.org/holidaycards today. Three beautiful new UUSC holiday cards are now available, including an original design by Holiday Card Contest winner Megan Miley of Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Goleta, Calif. Cards can be ordered on consignment or purchased directly. Proceeds from the sale of holiday cards help UUSC advance justice and work for basic human rights in the name of UU principles. Order your holiday cards today!

Banned Books in US Prisons
Recently the federal Bureau of Prisons' [BoP] decided to remove all but "pre-approved" books from federal prison libraries. The UUA's Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF) and others lobbied the BoP against this ruling and have successfully convinced the BoP to postpone the implementation of this decision. CLF will continue to work hard to prevent this ruling from taking effect. As the UU congregation serving isolated religious liberals, the CLF is committed to making UU spiritual support available to prisoners who are seeking a liberal religious alternative to the conservative Christian programming that dominates most U.S. prison programs. See  http://clf.uua.org/penpals.html

For more information on the decisions by the federal Bureau of Prisons: <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/washington/27prison.html?_r=1&th=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&emc=th&adxnnlx=
1190895525-V4eKgdxrP3l6/3NhJNCAWQ>

District Assembly, St. Louis Friday April 25 through Sunday April 27 Mark your calendars now and save the date because you won’t want to miss this year’s District Assembly. The highlights of this year’s assembly will be conversations, speeches and worship services about taking lessons of the past and using them to shape our religious future. The keynote speaker will be Diana Butler Bass, the author of multiple books and an expert in religious trends in America. In her research she has discovered that successful congregations share an intensity and seriousness about practicing and "walking their talk." She speaks of how these diverse congregations embrace their authenticity by drawing upon their traditions and through through these connections practicing worship, practicing justice, practicing hospitality and more.

Our History

Banner Workshop circa early 1970's

Schedule of Services

SPUUF
PO Box 361
Stevens Point, WI 54481
http://www.spuuf.org
info@spuuf.org