Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of St. John, USVI
MARCH 2010 Newsletter
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Our Sunday Services are held in the Great Room of the Gifft Hill School, Elementary Campus, at 10:00 AM. Children are invited to attend the service. Services are held October through June. Choir practice begins at 9:45 AM each Sunday.
Ride from the Cruz Bay Ferry Dock: If you would like a ride, please call Anna Tuttle at 776-6332 (a day in advance if possible).
Lunch after Sunday service: Members and friends regularly meet for lunch after Sunday service. We welcome visitors to join us.
SERVICE TOPICS:
March 7, Reverend Gary Kowalski, "At Home in the Cosmos": The search for intelligent life elsewhere in the galaxy is forcing theologians to re-evaluate the old stories of salvation, as scientists come to a new understanding of the human place in nature.
March 14, Rev Gary Kowalski, "The Ghost in the Machine" Alan Turing, a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence, is the key figure in this meditation on "the power that connects" all creation, from the starfish to the stars.
March 21, Dr. Daniel Zukergood, Associate Professor or Education at Springfield College and Laurie Herrick, CEO of Rainmaker Consulting: "Transforming Our Educational System One Student at a Time: Geoffrey Canada and the Harlem Children’s Zone"
March 28, Gail Karlsson, "Report from the Copenhagen Climate Summit: Truth, Justice and the American Way" What responsibility do we have to people in other parts of the world already experiencing rising sea levels, droughts and flooding? To future generations? To the web of life? Unitarian Universalist principles of justice, compassion and respect for nature can lead us towards practical ways of building more sustainable lifestyles and a broader sense of community.
SPEAKERS:
Reverend Gary Kowalski, a graduate of Harvard College and the Harvard Divinity School, is the bestselling author of books on nature, science, history and spirituality. His titles including The Souls of Animals, Goodbye Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost A Pet, Science and the Search for God, The Bible According to Noah, andRevolutionary Spirits: The Enlightened Faith of America's Founding Fathers have been translated in French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese and Czech and sold over 100,000 copies worldwide.
Dr. Zukergood was a speaker at the St. John Universalist Society several years ago, presenting a well-received presentation on Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize and the founder of one of the largest microcredit banks in the world, the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh. As an educator for over 30 years, he considers Geoffrey Canada’s model as a major breakthrough in bringing social justice and equity to our nation’s schools. He is also a musician and will lead the congregation in song before and after his presentation.
Laurie Herrick has also presented at the St. John Universalist Society several years ago. Trained by Al Gore to lead his workshop on climate change, Laurie has been very active in the environmental movement, leading Gore’s workshops at the St. John Universalist Society as well as for numerous educational institutions and organizations. Laurie is also an educator and non-profit fundraising consultant.
Gail Karlsson is an environmental lawyer and a consultant to the United Nations Development Programme's Environment & Energy Group. She worked with the UU Fellowship of St. John Green Committee to help produce a 'Smart Guide to Island Housekeeping' that provides information about living responsibly in the Virgin Islands, and is the author of The Wild Life in an Island House
Phone number for Guest Apartment and Visiting Speakers: 693-8392
EVENTS:
Thursday's at Noon Baked In The Sun: lunch group for brainstorming on church plans/fund raising/issues
March 13 Couples Workshop; Rev Gary Kowalski is offering a half day workshop he's been running for many years for married and committed couples---lots of helpful, fun communication exercises that are designed to help couples express appreciation, develop mutual priorities, and set goals to improve their relationship; tentatively scheduled for the morning. At Marvin Hart's by the pool 9:30- 12:20. Bring finger food to share and suits if you wish to swim. Donations accepted and will go to UU fellowship. Call Gary at the apartment to confirm 693-8392.
March 14 Executive Meeting after service..Officers are:
President Colleen Mader, Vice President Cheryl Magdelino, Program Co Chairs Suki Dickson and Dorothy Muilenberg, Treasurer Joyce McKenzie, Secretary Viki Brown, Green Sanctuary Suki Dickson, Music Director Dorothy Muilenberg, Meet & Greet Anna Tuttle, Advertising Lisa Etre, Religious Education Jessa Buchalter, NUUsletter Lisa Durgin. Please feel free to join in with your ideas.
March 21 Pot Luck after service; please bring a dish to share. We are trying to go green so bring utensils and platters for your own food if you can. If you forget or can't bring a dish don't worry we always have more than enough food so just come!
NEWS:
We continue to offer positive thoughts of empowerment and upliftment for Viki Brown and Bucky Buchalter.
The Building Committee is revitalizing and exploring goal setting for best use of our land as well as practical timeframes.
We are continuing to seek financial commitment from our members (and any non-members) who would like to contribute to the on-going costs of operating our fellowship. Your pledge accomplishes at least two things 1) It is tax deductable and our Treasurer can issue a voucher at years end (unlike money that you just contribute into the basket each week) and 2) It allows your officers to make a realistic budget for the year based on actual numbers and not hopes. Your pledges and offering pay for: our guest speakers (both local and visiting), upkeep and insurance for the car they use, rent, utilities and cleaning of the apartment for them, rent of the school room, child care/education, music program and our dues to the National and Distinct UU. The officers have reduced our operating expenses to pretty bare minimums this year and the upcoming. We know that we could have more members if we offered child care (just reinstated) and Religious education (two items that had been cut back). So we face the choice of missing out on potential members by not offering RE as well as the volunteerism that those new members could potentially contribute. Our current budget requires approximately $40 per member per week to meet our expenses. Please pledge or offer as much as you comfortably can to help us sustain our current programs. Many of us also know that by making a commitment to pay out a certain amount we are making way for that amount and more to enter into our own lives! Pledge forms will be available on the back table at service and have been sent out in separate email as well.
NEWSLETTER: If you have anything you'd like in the April newsletter please forward to me by 3/23 for inclusion. I'm happy to do a separate email with photos for those who can download, or committee reports and updates. If I left anything out that should have been included please let me know and I can add in.
Copies of our Guide to Island Housekeeping are available at Connections, Friends of the Park store and Connections. Suki succeeded in applying for a grant to reprint the guides-and they are now available!
UUF Slide Show: If you would like to add to our UUF slide show please submit your photos to Craig. We now have a slide show of over 600 photos that document our history and the camaraderie we've shared over the years.
UUF Library: Please note that we have many interesting titles in our UU cabinet including some DVD's and audio tapes. If you would like to check out some books please do so. You may also donate any books, DVD's, videos or audios that you think members may enjoy.
Who We Are: The UUF of St. John serves all people who are in sympathy with the Unitarian Universalist Association Principles and Purposes. In brief, we gather to support each other in the search for truth and meaning in life. We strive for a world of peace, freedom and justice where all individuals are respected and their diversity is celebrated. Join us for open-minded fellowship. For more information, call Anna at 776-6332. Our address is P.O. Box 751, St. John, VI 00831.
For a wealth of information on the Unitarian Universalist Association Worldwide go to http://uua.org/
Our website, still under construction is: http://www.uufstjohn.org/