From the Minister
Dear Beloveds,
I spent this past week with almost 3000 of our fellow Unitarian Universalists in Spokane, Washington. We were gathered for the General Assembly of Unitarian Universalist Associations, the annual meeting where we do the business of our shared faith. It was a powerful, worshipful event and I look forward to bringing home a lot of new ideas and possibilities. Next year the conference will be in Providence, Rhode Island and I would encourage each of you to think about whether this is something you might be interested in attending.
This year the theme of General Assembly was “The Power of We”. There were worship services, workshops, papers and presentations presented on this theme. I believe this theme offers us an affirmation, a challenge and an opportunity.
The affirmation is obvious: together we are powerful. We have taken to saying at the end of board meetings that “I put my hand in yours so that together we may accomplish what we cannot do alone.” The challenges of our lives can feel overwhelming and our ability to affect change can feel small. When we come together with each of our small abilities we are collectively strong. Our dreams can get bigger and our possibilities are more real.
The challenge is not new: who are we forgetting about when we speak of we? Who gets left out? What is our collective power to exclude? When we speak of our church community, are we really speaking of everyone who has walked through our doors? Are there people in our communities who feel left out when we make assumptions about who “we” are?
The invitation makes me hope: how do we continue to draw and affirm the widest possible circle of “we”? When we were researching out capital campaign, we discerned a number of ways that we wanted to broaden the way our community welcomes everyone. These range from making our space more physically accessible to doing the work to learn how to dismantle the patterns of misogyny, white supremacy, and other forms of hatred that seem to be on the rise in our country. As we prepare to install our accessible bathrooms and begin Beloved Conversations, let us imagine the ways that we can continue to broaden our ideas about who we are and who we might be. Together we can change the world but, and every single one of us will be needed to do so.
In faith,
Rev. Aija
Worship Information
Summer Series is Back: “Words that Unite/Words that Divide”
July 7: “God” Is there a story about God that you can’t believe? Is there one that you desperately want to? Rev. Aija Simpson preaching with worship associate Cheryl Parsons
July 14: “Born Again” What does it mean to be born again? Can you imagine it happening to you? Rev. Aija Simpson preaching with worship associate Cathy Dewalt.
July 21: “Blessed” In today’s service let us explore: What does it mean to be blessed? To be a blessing? And let’s consider the power we have to bless one another. Intern Cindy Terlazzo preaching with worship associate Gisela Roethke.
July 28: “Authority” Who’s in charge here? Is anyone in charge anywhere? Rev. Aija Simpson preaching with worship associate Cathy Dewalt.
Support Local LGBTQ+ Community
We are looking for volunteers to staff UUCV’s booth at the Central PA PRIDE Festival. This year’s festival is scheduled for Saturday, July 27th. It will be held in Harrisburg’s Soldier’s Grove, which is located behind the Capitol.
If interested, please sign up at the SJC table in the Social Hall.
Silent Witness Peacekeepers Need You
UUCV are looking for a few good men and women to serve as Silent Witness Peacekeepers for the July 27th Central PA Pride Festival.
Silent Witness Peacekeepers and their very visible rainbow umbrellas provide a non-confrontational buffer between the LGBT community and those who protest at LGBT events such as Pridefest. Where there are those who publicly promote hate, Peacekeepers are there to help provide a loving, supportive front opposing them.
Silent Witness volunteers will receive training in non-confrontation techniques specially designed for the work they do. If interested, please sign up at the Social Justice table in the Social hall by July 7th.
The Numbers are in…
Thanks to ALL The volunteers who helped make this year’s Strawberry Booth and Yard Sale a HUGE success!! Final Tallies (after expenses):
Strawberry Booth $1,732.79
Yard Sale $1,295.52
Adult RE – August Planning Meeting
The Adult RE class will be meeting in the board room on Sun. Aug. 4 at 9 AM to propose and select topics for our Fall series of classes which will run from September to December. All are welcomed to attend this planning meeting—new comers as well as seasoned participants. Give some thought to the topics you would like to hear about and discuss during our Fall semester and bring those ideas and suggestions to the Aug. 4th meeting. We’ll then select the topics to be covered during the Fall and publish the class schedule. Examples of recent discussion topics include: Swedenborg’s Theology, Science and the Ultimate Nature of Reality, Zen and Reaching our Full Potential, Mental Illness Affects Us All, Ritual in Religion, Consciousness and the Self, and Sacred Books.
Don’t Miss Out!
23rd Annual UUCV Auction
Saturday Evening, Nov. 16, 2019
Mark your calendars for UUCV’s biggest event of the year! The 2019 UUCV Auction will feature food, fun, music and the opportunity to sign up for dinners, hikes, game nights and more hosted by UUCV members. Child care will be provided. Your auction committee is busy working on everything that’s needed to ensure the evening is a success. Stay tuned for further details, including the theme and a few new twists we’re considering to make a great event even better. See you at the auction!
Adult Ed Book Group
June Hoch will be discussing The Hate U Give at the meeting, July 28. From the book jacket: “Sixteen-year old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor black neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. …Angie Thomas’s searing debut about an ordinary girl in extraordinary circumstances addresses issues of racism and police violence with intelligence, heart, and unflinching honesty.”
Be the Change — July 2019
Join US at Project SHARE’s Farm Stand!
When: Thursday mornings, July 11th and 25th from 9:30 – 11:00ish
Where: Farm Stand is located at 123 Lincoln Street, Carlisle
Why: To sort located donated fruits, vegetables, baked goods for distribution to those in need.
Live our mission! Please sign up at Social Justice table.
Sign up to volunteer at the Central PA PRIDE Festival – July 27th.
Volunteer sign-ups are located on the Social Justice table.
Silent Witness Peacekeeper Training – July 13th or July 16th
Training for new Peacekeepers will be held at the Central PA LGBTQ center in Harrisburg on Saturday, July 13th at 9:30 am & on Tuesday, July 16th at 6:30 pm. Sessions last around 2 hours. New Peacekeepers are required to attend ONE session. Current Peacekeepers are encouraged to attend as a refresher.
Consider joining in our Beloved Conversations program – begins in October.
Change For The World – Fresh Match (Farmer’s on the Square)
Fresh Match is a matching program whereby low-income persons receiving Food Stamps (SNAP), Women Infants and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition programs, and the Farmers Market Nutrition Program for seniors may purchase limited amounts of eligible food items at the Carlisle Farmers on the Square market for half price. Fresh Match’s 50-50 matching makes healthy, sustainably–produced foods affordable for low income members of our community.
Coffee Makers Needed
Do you enjoy a cup of coffee during social hour after worship? We need volunteers to make coffee for Social Hour.
Please sign up to at the Volunteer Table in the Social Hall. If you are a first-timer, Max Lara will be happy to assist you the first time.
Update from the UUCV Mozambique Bursary Committee
Greetings from the UUCV Mozambique Bursary Committee! Once again, we would like to thank all of our donors for their generous donations. Your contributions help teenage girls in Mozambique, one of the world’s poorest countries, fulfill their educational dreams. Perhaps you’ve wondered how the students live out those dreams, once they’ve graduated from the schools in Molumbo and Namarroi. In this update, we’ve included some information about recent graduates.
Matilde Amaldo Sumbuoleta entered the Molumbo bursary program in 2013 and graduated in 2017. She is currently studying professional public administration at a school in Gure. Her fellow student, Genita Patricio, entered the bursary in 2012 and graduated in 2016. She entered the public administration program in 2018.
Lurdes Crlitos entered the Namarroi bursary program in 2013 and graduated in 2016. She entered a nurses training program in 2018. Another student, Teresinha Duarte Goncalves, is also enrolled in a health-related program. Tersinha entered the bursary program in 2012 and graduated in 2017. She is now studying pharmacy.
Gerusa da Ofelia entered a teacher training college after graduating from the bursary program. She has completed her studies and is working in Mocuba.
Many of these girls have faced obstacles as they worked to achieve their dreams. Some failed college admissions exams and retook them successfully a year later. Some have faced financial difficulties. With our support, they have persevered and made progress. The Bursary Committee will keep you updated as we learn more about our former students.
Grocery Cards – Easy fundraiser for UUCV
Don’t forget to stop by the Grocery Card table after service on Sundays to buy a Giant, Karns or Weis card to purchase all your picnic groceries. This is a great fundraiser for UUCV – we receive 10% of the face value of every Giant Card sold and 5% for each Karns and Weis card sold. Cards can also be purchased during the week in the church office Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 am – 1:30 pm and on Wednesdays from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm. And you can use your Giant card for gas, Carlisle Borough Trash Bags, prescriptions, and beer for those over 21!
Upcoming Open Auction Events
The auction is over but there are still open events that you can attend. Contact the event leader or Pam in the office 717/249-8944 or [email protected] to sign up and submit payment. For full details on events, check out the booklet online http://www.uucv.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Booklet-final.pdf
Upcoming open Auction Events:
Paint Night with UUCV Artists–September 21 at 7:00 $45/pp
Hosts: UUCV Artists
Contact Pam in the office to sign up and for payment options 717/249-8944 or [email protected]
Smile.Amazon and make money for UUCV
When you do your amazon online shopping, use https://smile.amazon.com/ and choose Unitarian Universalists of Cumberland Valley as the charity you would like to support. You only need to enter our name in once, and it will remain the charity until you change it. UUCV receives quarterly checks based on the amount spent on this site. There is no extra cost to you.
