UUCSJS Midweek Message

• Call to Action
• Caring Team
• Announcements
• Explore Our Monthly Theme
  
• Notes from the Board
• Events This Week
• This Sunday
• Last Sunday
• Connect to Our Faith

Please bring in by May 15th.

Our Unitarian Universalist faith affirms that all of our bodies are sacred, and that we are each endowed with the twin gifts of agency and conscience. Each of us should have the power to decide what does and doesn’t happen to our bodies at every moment of our lives because consent and bodily autonomy are holy. And when disparities in resources or freedoms make it more difficult for certain groups of people to exercise autonomy over their own bodies, our faith compels us to take liberatory action.

Click on the image above or visit sidewithlove.org to learn what you can do.

Volunteer to be a worship associate! Contact Colby Tippins today!

Talk of starting back up with Coffee Hour is brewing. Looking for volunteers to help with set-up and afterwards. No food just yet. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate and light beverages. Creamers and other items will be supplied. We will continue to go by CDC and UUA guidelines but folks feel that we are ready..

Contact Richard Schurig via text to 609-343-2540 or at Sunday Service. Look for the sign-up sheet!!

Recycling:

Solid Plastic:

ACUA accepts number 1,2 and 5 plastics of all shapes and sizes including "clam shell" containers. Please be sure to check the triangle on these items. Remove the closures on bottles and jars as 99% of the tine these items are not in the number category for recycling. . Closures and all other types of plastic, known as rigid plastic, can go into the white container next to the recycling bucket. Some coffee cup lids are #5's! Please make sure items are empty as the cleaner the recyclables the more valuable they are to the program. Remove metal lids from jars, too!

Paper and Cardboard:

Must be clean and can go in with plastic and glass. No pizza boxes! Contaminated and or wet paper and cardboard gets rejected at the ACUA as wet paper and cardboard grow mold, are not available for resale to industry and ends up in the landfill !!!

Plastic Bags:

As New Jersey finally hits the no more plastic bag stage of life in May some bags may appear. and other items, ie: bottled water wrappers, shipped items, and other forms of sheet plastic can go in the large cat food bag under the table located with the recycle bins and refuse containers. There is no telling how long Shop-Rite will continue to collect and recycle these. Over the years they have done a terrific job at helping to keep plastic bags out of the waste stream and getting the plastic back to industry for re-use in other durable items.

Tea bags and the tags can go into the compost container on the counter

Contact a member of the Caring Team

Team members can provide you with support during/after an illness, a death in the family, or other loss or hardship. They can find you resources, run errands, or provide meals in time of need.

Reach out to:

• Tracey Catino at (609) 674-8721 email: Traceysnaps@msn.com
• Denise O'Meara at (610) 316-7495 email: denome53@gmail.com
• Helen Utts at (609) 338-3391 email: HelenUtts@aol.com
• MaryLou DeMaria-Berhang at (201) 247-5635 email: MLberhang@gmail.com
• Tony Zitelli at (201) 463-2800 email: happy85a@aol.com
• Barbara Morell at (215) 805-7599 email: morellb@msn.com

To have your announcement placed in the Midweek Message, please send an email to admin@uucsjs.org by Noon on Wednesday.

Planning a special event? The Communications Team can help. Visit https://uucsjs.breezechms.com/form/42685e for more information.

From the Pandemic Response Team:

The Pandemic response team has received notification from the NJ Public Health dashboard that the COVID 19 transmission risk in our area is now in the "yellow" zone due to increasing cases reported.

Masks are REQUIRED inside UUCSJS.

We will still be encouraging social distancing and other safety measures, including an updated health and safety pledge.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation! Please contact any member of the Pandemic Response Team with any questions.

Melissa Hutchison, Karen York, Jeff Taylor, and Janet Longo

On May 22, following the service, we invite all who are new to our congregation to a special gathering. The purpose is to get to know each other better, and to help you to learn enough about us that you no longer feel new. After we introduce ourselves, we plan to speak to the following:

• How do we plan to run Church without a minister?
• Some bits and pieces from our proud history.
• What is our current social outreach?
• Ways that you can become involved in the life of our congregation.
• How does one become a member?

We will begin as soon as we can in the sanctuary. We promise to go no longer than 90 minutes. We will take a short break during the program and sandwiches will be available. Afterwards, you can choose to take a tour of the building if you can stay a little longer.

If you would like to attend, please respond to the RSVP box below.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Betsy Searight and Judy Pereira

Membership Committee

THE FIVE WOUNDS BY KIRSTIN VALDEZ QUADE

The Five Wounds is a miraculous debut novel from a writer whose stories have been hailed as “legitimate masterpieces” (New York Times). Kirstin Valdez Quade conjures characters that will linger long after the final page, bringing to life their struggles to parent children they may not be equipped to save.

Book club will meet on Friday, May 20th at 7:00 pm on ZOOM (www.tinyurl.com/uucsjszoom)

Everyone is welcome to join in the discussion or just listen. Diane Dreby will lead the discussion.

June selection is THE ADDRESS BOOK by Deidre Mask

Study of Dragonflies and Damselflies – Saturday, May 21

Offered by Mike Hannisian and Nancy Watson, both nationally known experts and photographers on this subject, and members of our congregation.

• The first session of the day , from 10:00 to 12:00, held at the UU Center, will be an illustrated introduction to the subject.
• The second session will be from 1:00 to 3:00 - a field trip at a small pond in Port Republic. Wear boots and bring small focus binoculars if you have them.

You may select each session singly or select them both. Cost is $25 for each, and $40 for both.

To purchase one or both of these everts: Contact Betsy Searight, or visit the signup sheet in the back corner of the Sanctuary and follow the instructions.

On April 24, May 1, and May 8, four possible sign renderings, to be utilized on route 575, adjacent to our congregational sign, will be on display in the back of our sanctuary.

Members will be asked to vote for two options.

On May 15, after the service, a talkback session will occur regarding the two options selected by our membership. The purpose of the meeting is to address any questions or concerns regarding the two choices. A proposal consisting of the two choices will be voted on by our membership on June 12 at our annual congregational meeting.

Below are three sign renditions. The fourth sign option, which is not pictured, would be just like the sign with six lines EXCEPT the first line would have larger print and the fifth line (love is love) would have smaller print.

Janet Longo (on behalf of the Signage Committee)

The philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote, “In difficult times, carry something beautiful in your heart.”

These are indeed difficult times. They require courage, commitment, hope and self-love. And all of these are sustained by beauty. We find the courage to fight after falling in love with a beautiful vision to fight for. We maintain our commitment only by finding the beauty that nourishes us. We hold on to hope because experiences of beauty remind us that something in the universe is on our side. We withstand dehumanization when rooted deeply in the beauty of our own dignity.

It’s one of the most important secrets to successful social change and social survival: When we carry beauty, it carries us.

So this month, literally find something to carry with you, for weeks on end! A pebble, poem, torn piece of paper with a quote on it. Might even be a quote from this packet. You’ll likely carry it in your pocket, but maybe it will be in a necklace or wallet instead.

The goal is to find a reminder about beauty that will carry you through as you carry it.

(from Soul Matters)

Welcome to Reverend Dr. Marie DeYoung

This Sunday, May 8th, Reverend Dr. Marie DeYoung will lead us in flower Communion and

reflect on the original purpose of Mother’s Day, as founded by Unitarian Julia Ward Howe.

Rev. Marie lives in Ventnor, NJ and served UU Congregations and as a UU chaplain in the US Army for over thirty years.

Rev. Marie and Theresa McReynolds will be available to officiate for us at rites of passage, like weddings, namings, and funerals for a fee. Neither will be our minister. We are at least a year away from having one. Providing for celebrants on our special days, however, is a key element in covering the functions a minister does.

Audio Visual Improvements

Good news!

John Rosenberg has accepted the role of project manager. A subcommittee has formed to help John Rosenberg with the project.

Not So Good news

Several elements of the hardware and software needed for our AVI project were never ordered. That lack will slow down delivery of the system.

Path Forward

John R has indicated his willingness to roll parts of the project out soon to improve our worship experience. We will install, as soon as possible,

• New speakers on temporary mounts.
• The new, very local, FM radio station so those who can’t hear well can use headset receivers.
• Big new TV monitors so that we can welcome guest presenters from remote locations

UUA General Assembly

So far, no member of UUCSJS has shown interest in attending the Unitarian Universalist Association’s General Assembly. UUCSJS has the authority to send two voting delegates to GA. If you have an interest, please write to me. You can attend physically or electronically.

Board Meeting Next Week

The Board of Trustees will meet at 7:00 PM on Thursday, May 12th. You can join us in person at the UU Center or by Zoom. The Zoom address is the same one we use for Sunday services.

Kit Marlowe

UUCSJS Board President

Click on the graphic below or visit the calendar at uucsjs.org for more information on events and meetings.

CLICK HERE to reserve the Zoom Room or to add your event to the calendar.

Margaret Circle will meet on Thursday, May 5, at 1:00. Last month the program was our thoughts and feelings to various questions about the things that are important in our lives. The group decided to continue with these questions for May, as it was a meaningful conversation for all. Margaret Circle members will be hanging one of Arlene Yacka’s paintings in the library. It is a pair of bluebirds, donated to Margaret Circle by her son.

Guest minister Rev. Dr. Marie DeYoung

May 8 is Mother’s Day. Rev. Dr. Marie deYoung will reflect on the original purpose of Mother’s Day, as founded by Unitarian Julia Ward Howe. How do we make sense of Julia Ward Howe’s call to peacemaking in these complicated times? She will also reflect on the importance of taking time to participate in community reconciliation gatherings and rituals. Unitarian Norbert Capek gifted us with the unique Flower Communion. Marie’s sermon will culminate with the community’s participation in this Flower Communion ritual.

Please bring your favorite flowers to share with the community on this day.

PLEASE NOTE: This service will be in person at UUCSJS and streamed live on our Facebook page. A recording will be available later in the day on our YouTube Channel.

Here you will find ways to learn about and connect with our faith and opportunities to connect with other UU's from outside our congregation.

Click on the images for more information.

Sunday Services 10 am in person and livestreamed on Facebook.

Email: admin@uucsjs.org
Website: www.uucsjs.org
Location: 75 S Pomona Rd, Egg Harbor City, NJ, USA
Phone: (609) 965-9400
Facebook: facebook.com/uucsjs
Twitter: @UUCSJS