Church Life newsletter - Social Activities

The Foreword - Our Monthly Newsletter
(Part Two; listing all social activities, group meetings, volunteer projects
and community outreach)

Welcome!   Let's Make Sundays more friendly to all our new visitors and more fulfilling to our members!     Join us on Facebook and Twitter

At a Glance ~ Important Dates Preaching by Parishioners delivers personal sermons each Sunday morning. Sun., Sept 5:  Church year officially begins with Barroom Buzzards offering celebratory music during Sunday Service Sun., Sept. 12:  Chicken BBQ Religious Education Sign up: 1) Please click here to register your child(ren) for Religious Education during the 2010-11 church school year.  2) Please click here to sign up as an RE Teacher this year. Kids Consignment Sale:  Friday, Oct. 1 9am-3pm;  Saturday, Oct. 2, 10am-1pm/ half-price sale Sun., Oct. 17:  Fall Fantasy Auction   more info at our newsletter &  on our monthly events calendar.

To read our monthly newsletter in its entirety as a .pdf file,
please click on the links below.

 February 2010 // March 2010 // April 2010 // May 2010 // June 2010 // July 2010 //
 August 2010 // September 2010

Welcome to Sunday Worship!

Ready for a friendly task? Sign up to be a Greeter at the Emerson Room doors on Sunday morning. It's a happy job! Look for the sign-up sheet on the Church Life bulletin board in the Lobby. I'll send you a reminder the week before you're on duty. Joan Jacobs

Ushers: Elaine Cusker, Ria and Hinni Martens and Bob Wack will join Dennis Bihl again this year as ushers on Sunday mornings. We'll be putting the inserts into the Order of Service, handing them out to you as you enter the Chapel, sharing the microphone at "Joys and Sorrows" and passing the plate at the collection. As if that wasn't enough to keep us busy, we also count and record attendance and contributions. We are often assisted by unsuspecting volunteers who we corral as they walk in the door! Dennis Bihl

The Art Wall  Please share your creative endeavors with the U.U. congregation by displaying them on or in front of the Art Wall. Simply sign up on the sheet next to the Art Wall. If you have any questions or would like some assistance in displaying your masterpieces, please contact Gloria Masters.

ADULT CHOIR

Attention all current and prospective choir members: Choir rehearsals will begin on Thursday, September 16 at 7:15 pm in the choir room upstairs (at the end of the hall in the RE Wing) and again on Sunday, September 19 at 9:15 am in the chapel to begin our 2010-2011 season at the 10:30 am Service. Please join us for a fun year of singing and camaraderie--your musical contribution to our Sunday services is most appreciated! Call me if you need any additional information. Thank you, and I am looking forward to a great year with all of you.
Best regards, Marie Zak, Music Director

Everybody loves Coffee Hour! But we need help to make it happen every week. It takes about 45 minutes before the service and some clean-up time after our fellowship (we're usually done by 12:45 pm, if not sooner). You don't miss the service or your own time to mingle.
     The coffee committee consists of Margot Shoemaker, Bob Park, Peg O'Shaughnessy, Wendy Lettieri, Angie Knisley, and Marie Evans. If we could find two more committee members, each would be "agent in charge" only 5-6 times during the church year (about once every two months). The committee person brings the milk and 1/2 & 1/2 (for which they're reimbursed), and oversees the operation for that week.
     We also need 2-3 additional "kitchen crew" volunteers per week to help with set-up and clean-up. Sign-up sheets are posted each Sunday on a clipboard on the mug table. Just choose the day(s) you'd like to help. If you don't bring your calendar to church, you can call or email Margot or me at your convenience.
     If you don't have time to play in the kitchen on Sunday mornings, we also welcome drop-off food donations - "lovingly created, or lovingly procured." - Marie Evans ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 636 - 5770)

Welcoming Circle: Do you want to help out, but never seem to be able to get to church early enough to be a greeter or coffee hour host? Your Membership Committee is looking for a few friendly people to help meet & greet newcomers after the service. Please see Joann Shafer to volunteer.

Welcoming People with Disabilities Learn about promoting equality and access for UU's with disabilities. Visit the website – www.equualaccess.org.

Transportation: There are several people we know of, and this list will probably grow, that need rides to church on Sundays and perhaps to other church activities. We would like to form a list of people who are able to pick up someone occasionally.
If our list of drivers is big enough, no one will have to worry about finding an alternate when they are not available. Jean Hutchinson is willing to take names of drivers and riders and to keep the list up dated. Please call her if you can help!!

Our Sunday church services are 10:30am.
You can see the topics & other activities listed in our monthly calendar. Childcare is provided on Sundays as well as religious education for youth. 

Join us on Facebook! and Twitter!
Why?
* It's easy and fun!
* To get the word out about our Nurturing Community of Diverse Beliefs, especially to younger people.
* To see our Wall, Info, Discussions, Photos, Video, and Events.
* To keep in contact with everyone throughout the week.

How?
1.) If you don’t have one already, create a Facebook account. Go to www.facebook.com. To sign up for facebook, you’ll need an email address and a password.
2.) Join our Group. Search (at the top of the News Feed page) for “Unitarian Universalist Church of Amherst,” or click on the link above.
 

You can see UUCA activities listed in
our monthly events calendar.

Lunch, Books & Discussions

For Men Only (Women Avert Your Eyes)!
The ROMEOs who meet on the first Thursday of each month are currently debating a problem . . . ROMEOs is the acronym for Retired Old Men Eating Out. However the group is open to all men, some of whom are not retired, thus the R would have to be dropped from ROMEOs and it would become known as the OMEOs.

It was then pointed out that some of the men are not (or object to being called) Old. Further, someone said that we should also indicate that we lunch Without Women. Thus the sobriquet would become the MEOWWs. A few were bold enough (or gender insensitive enough) to say that MEOWWs was somehow effeminate and would discourage the macho UU men from attending. Please join the group for the continuing debate at the Buffalo Brew Pub – corner of Main and Transit at 12:00 pm on the first Thursday of each month. (Next: September 2). No reservation necessary, separate checks, cute waitresses (we told you women to avert your eyes). – Submitted Anonymously!
 

Current Events Discussion/Lunch Group is the 2nd Tuesday each month. Everyone welcome! September 14, 12:30 pm - Bring your lunch and any articles of interest from your usual sources of information and let's share our opinions of the news of the past month. MEN AND WOMEN ARE INVITED TO THIS LUNCH!

Women's Lunch - 3rd Tuesday, September 21, 12:30 pm:  Just lunch - no agenda! Bring your lunch to the Emerson Room and we will laugh and feast together!

Women's Circle

This discussion group meets each 1st, 4th and 5th Tuesday of the month, at 1:30 pm in the church living room. Here's what we will be doing:
August 31 - This is our Fifth Tuesday meeting with Rev. Tim Ashton. We will be able to catch up on his news from this summer!

September 7 - What better way to start out the new church year than with the latest edition of the UU World which you should be receiving in August. There are always very interesting, thought-provoking articles for us to discuss.

September 28 - We'll be discussing the novel The Help today as a follow-up to March.

October 5 - We'll watch the DVD "The Heretics" today about a group of women artists who had an impact on American culture in the 60s and what they are doing today.

(Please continue sending your favorite poems to feed the booklet to be published in late summer.) - Your tUUesday friend, Marge Marcille

You can see UUCA activities listed in
our monthly events calendar.

Humanist Reading Group meets the third Friday of every month at 7:30 pm in the living room.
    The Humanist Reading Group will meet in the Living Room at 7:30 pm. We will continue discussing Carl Sagan's book The Varieties of Scientific Experience. Even if you have just picked up the book, please come. We welcome new members! . - Scott Harrigan,  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Lending Library

The UUCA Lending Library is located in the glass cabinet in the Emerson Room. Materials are borrowed on the honor system - sign out the items in the spiral notebook inside the case. We have an interesting collection of fiction and non-fiction books. Newcomers might want to learn some UU history by reading OUT OF THE FLAMES by Lawrence & Nancy Goldstone, or explore different religious traditions with RESTLESS SOULS: The Making of American Spirituality from Emerson to Oprah, by Leigh Eric Schmidt. Any questions, contact Marie Evans (evans.marie @ gmail.com).

Young Adult Group
We meet the 3rd Sunday of the month at 6:30 pm. We have been using discussion topics from "Finding Your Path", a Young Adult Small Group Ministries curriculum. We are open to Young Adults and the young at heart. We have decided to continue meeting through the summer months. If you want to get on our listserv or have questions, please contact Michelle George.
 

Church Grounds & Memorial Gardens

Gardening Work Party
Church gardens need lots of weeding to happen now. Please reply if you can help. I am willing to arrange one evening a week after finding the evening most convenient for most people. There is much to be done. It is your church home.  Betty Howell, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Our Award Winning Trees
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Lands and Forests has recently updated the NYS Register of Big Trees which is used to track and measure trees of record size and to promote interest in their care and preservation.
We are the owners of three record-sized trees: a Mazzard Cherry (prunus avium)), a Wild Plum (prunus Americana) and a Downy Hawthorn (crataegus mollis). These trees were last measured in 2003 and must be re-measured within 10 years of that date to maintain status as a champion tree. Check out the Big Tree Register at www.dec.ny.gov

Changes to the Carriage House Gardens
We've tackled the west & east sides with more permanent plantings, featuring a mixture of deer-resitant and wherever possible, native plants. With composted manure worked into the soil, extensive mulching and lots of sweat, we anticipate beautiful results.

Thank you for everyone's patience as we redesign our green spaces. It is our hope to support our Green Sanctuary goals through more native plantings. We are also designing to reduce the amount of maintenance required for the gardens to remain healthy and more easily cared for ~ join us on Saturdays!

 
Living Memorial Gardens
The raised flower bed located in the center of our front lawn is our UUCA Memorial Garden. The garden was developed in l989, using funds raised from our members, to provide a quiet and peaceful area to scatter the ashes of our deceased church members and, if requested, their non-member relatives. Being a traditional perennial garden, different plants appear and bloom throughout the growing season, and there is always something flowering from early spring to late fall. Ashes are initially placed in a small, buried receptacle and later are dispersed among the different plants to nourish the soil and maintain the circle of life. The garden is currently maintained by a small committee of volunteers, and the fees paid by people who join the Memorial Garden are kept in a separate bank account and are used solely for its maintenance.

A very reasonable fee is charged for joining the Garden and this also includes the right to use a page in our Memorial Book (kept in the Ministers Office), to memorialize the deceased person, and a plaque on the Memorial Board (located in the Atrium) listing the persons name and year of birth and death. All fees are listed in the Living Memorial Garden leaflet available in the entrance hall or from Margot's office.

We invite you to stroll along the flagstone path that links the Church to the Garden, sit on the curved stone bench for a while, listen to the birds singing and enjoy the lovely view of our Church and grounds.

Pet Memorial Garden
A small area in the gardens near the Emerson Room has been made into our UUCA Pet Memorial Garden. With the help of Eagle Scouts a small walled area containing perennial plants has been prepared to receive the ashes of our beloved pets.The fee of $5 will help defray the cost of new plants as needed, and the garden will be maintained by Memorial Garden volunteers. Memorial Garden Committee:  Jerry Kent, Pam Twycross-Kent

Volunteer Invitations & Committee Activity

Gardening Work Party
Church gardens need lots of weeding to happen now. I would like to organize a Saturday morning work party 10-12 noon  for every Saturday throughout the growing season. Please reply if you can help.
In addition, I am willing to arrange one evening a week after finding the evening most convenient for most people. There is much to be done. It is your church home.
Betty Howell, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

We have a new portable projector system for church-related events.

If you would like to reserve the projector for your event, please send email with the time and date for your event to the IT Committee at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . While we will consider requests for any church-related event, we are generally looking for committee sponsored events. Please realize that there are a limited number of projectionists and that some times are more difficult to accommodate than others, such as weekdays before 5 pm.

Additionally, this is just a projection system, you will have to provide the laptop to display your programming. We do have a DVD player, but if you use Blu-Ray you will need to bring your own player. We have adaptors to hook most devices into the system.

If your committee hosts a lot of events requiring the use of the projector, or need the projector at times that are difficult to accommodate, we will ask that a person from the committee be trained to be a projectionist to serve that committee's needs.

There will be a training of projectionists at the church. Space is limited so please write to the IT Committee list if you are interested in training. Let us know what committee you are training for or if you are interested in adding this work to your ministry for the church. We do need people who are willing to be general projectionists.
We will have additional trainings as needed throughout the year.

Thanks. Scott Harrigan / Chair, IT Committee

Volunteers needed!
If you enjoy decorating, why not consider joining the UUCA DECOR COMMITTEE? If you are interested, please contact Grace Little.
** The Decor Committee is looking for slightly used folding doors or French doors that could conceivably be installed between the church living room and dining room. If you know of any such doors, please contact Grace Little.

The FACILITIES COUNCIL is looking for two volunteers to fill very specific needs for the church.
***First, we are looking for someone to oversee the church's heating and cooling. This may sound like a big task, but most of what is required has been documented and there are many people both inside and outside that are available to help. The person in this position would review the systems in the church on a schedule to be determined, checking the condition of the devices, and making minor changes as required. If outside help is required this person would have a list of vendors to call and would setup the repairs required. When devices fail, this volunteer will be contacted and they will help the reporter repair the problem or arrange for repair. This person will be trained in this position by the person who currently handles the job.

***Secondly, we are looking for someone to monitor the outside custodial crew hired to clean the church. This will be accomplished by checking predetermined items on a scheduled to be developed. Once checked, problem issues will be reported to the custodial company and to the Chair of the Building Maintenance committee.

If you are interested in either of these positions please contact the church office.

UUCA Skills Survey: We are conducting a survey of our membership to find out who, in the immortal words of Paul Bieter, "knows stuff about stuff". The idea is to create a list of members in the congregation who might have some knowledge or skills in special areas. It will only take a few minutes, I promise!

As you look at the survey, it will ask you to check off if you have a novice level of skill/knowledge or a professional level. Then it will ask you to check off if you would participate and help out, if you could offer advice, or to not call you at all. That's it! Here it is: UUCA Skills Survey

You can print out and then fill out the survey and drop it off in the Website Mailbox, or just pass it on to Kathy Moriarty or Tim Ashton. If you'd like, you are welcome to call me and I will call you back. We can do it quickly & simply over the phone. I look forward to hearing from everyone and thank you so much for your participation. Kathy Moriarty

The CHURCH LIFE Committee welcomes new members. We are in charge of sponsoring three parties a year. If you would like to, please join us.

•  a summer picnic, usually held at Dennis and Judy Bihl's summer cottage in Canada

•  The Holiday Dinner, held in early December, for all church members, with entertainment for the children and caroling for all.
  

•  The Pot-Luck Dinners, in conjunction with the Membership Committee. For our March event, 125 adults and 27 kids got together for the All Church Pot Luck Dinners! Maybe a record! Thanks to all who contributed the wonderful food we shared. But our biggest round of applause and many thanks go to the hosts and hostesses who graciously opened their homes to the congregation and co-ordinated the dinners--thank you again for a wonderful evening!

  If you are interested in planning parties and fun, this is the committee for you. We hope to see many of you at that time. – Eileen McCallister
  

Call to grandparents & all church members Are you a retired teacher or other professional? Do you have hobbies, interests, or skills that you would like to share? Do you enjoy working with children?

Consider joining with members of the ECONOMIC JUSTICE & SOCIAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE in volunteering to work with the children at Gateway Longview (our next-door neighbor and home & school for disadvantaged children). All kinds of assistance are needed: mentoring, tutoring, skills sharing, or just helping the with school and institution operations.

If you have an interest or skill that you would like share or just want to help, contact Pat Burke (684-0119). She can help arrange a meeting or discuss ways you might volunteer. – Doug Funke
    

 Safe Congregations, which you may have heard about, is the responsibility of the whole congregation. This is a set of policies meant to protect our whole congregation, not just keep our children safe. We started with putting windows in the classrooms and offices for visibility, and have two teachers in every classroom. I'm calling on everyone's help now, not just those with children in church school. We need volunteers once a month for the listed duties. A great way to get involved in UUCA and a brief time commitment!

FIRST FLOOR GREETERS: One Sunday a month to stand by the mailboxes at the foot of the stairs leading to the R.E. wing from 10:15 - 10:45. This person would greet people, offer to help newcomers, direct them to the proper place or to me, let them know what is going on that Sunday, answer questions. No need to miss a service.

LOBBY/HALL MONITOR: This person would be in the lobby and walk the first floor halls during the service, offering to help latecomers or anyone who seems "lost".
Basically, just be a "presence" so people are aware that
WE know who is in the building.

CHILD SUPERVISOR: This person would be in the Channing Chapel from about 11:30 (when the service lets out) to 12:30, supervising the kids who choose to hang out there and play during coffee hour. The kids would have a choice to be at the kids' snack tables in the Emerson room or to be in the Channing Chapel. If they want to be any place else (like the playground), an adult needs to be with them. A great way to get to know the church school kids!

You can choose which Sunday you want (1st Sunday, 2nd Sunday, etc.)
I'll have sign-up sheets. This system would start on Sept. 20, 2010 (3rd Sunday). Contact me by phone, email or see me at church. On behalf of the congregation, I thank you! Anne Hibbert, DRE

Coffee Carafes Needed
We are looking for insulated coffee carafes in very good condition which we would use for guests in the Emerson Room on special occasions. Ours are very stained. Please bring them to the kitchen . Thank You. – Marge Marcille

Board Announcement

     Some of you have heard rumors about an up-coming Church Leadership Retreat. The retreat will be held in early November on Sat. Nov. 6 or Nov 13. The Board struck a planning committee to design the retreat. Obviously the planning committee has not finished their work yet. But in order to give the attendees as much notice as possible, I wanted to get the date on people's calendars. More information will follow soon. - Ted Lightfoot, Chair, Board of Trustees

   P.S. For those wondering about the purpose of this retreat, it is simple. The congregation has gotten too big to know everyone: we are no longer one closely knit community, we are becoming an organization of overlapping closely knit communities. To manage such an organization effectively, we need to have closer connections between the leadership of the many groups within the church. This retreat is intended to serve as a community building exercise for the extended leadership of the church and to start a visioning process for the future.

The Endowment Trust

The Endowment Trust met on July 20th at the home of Chairperson Irving Laub. We welcomed Karen Kuhn, our liaison with the Board and Chair of the Finance Council, and former trustee Ellen Doyno. We also welcomed Paul Ziebarth of the Endowment Committee at the UU Church of Buffalo. Paul described the development and operation of the UUCB Endowment Trust which was created in 1988. There are many ways of managing endowment fund investments. Trustees want to be able to consider many options and make decisions about our portfolio that will result in growth, even in difficult financial times. In order for the fund to grow significantly, we will also need donations that honor and remember church members and friends. Please visit the Endowment Tree and view the memorial book, and please consider a gift to help build a strong financial future for our church. – Larene Hoelcle for Irving Laub, Dennis Bihl, Doris Kent and Sylvia Moran
 

You can see UUCA activities listed in
our monthly events calendar.

Social Concerns
 

The GREEN SANCTUARY Committee posts information on green activities in WNY on the Green Sanctuary bulletin board in the lobby. Activities include conferences, opportunities to volunteer, and wonderful recreational activities for adults and children. Check it out!
For more information on our church's activity to become a Green Sanctuary, please go to our Faith in Action page.

GREEN TIPS
* Cancel Mail Order Catalogs - email www.catalogchoice.org
* Improve gas mileage by reducing wind resistence Remove roof racks & other accessories. A fully loaded roof rack increases gas consumption by 30%
* Wash your car on the grass. Use a bucket & only run hose water when needed. Soapy water won't harm your yard & will reduce run off into the storm drain.
* Change mowing practices. Mow as infrequently as possible & mow higher than normal. Leave mulched clippings on the lawn.
 

6th Annual WNY Environmental Summit
“This Land is Your Land: Reclaiming Your Home, Your Neighborhood, Your Community" is the theme for the 6th Annual Western New York Environmental Summit. The event is hosted by Daemen College on Saturday, September 25 from 8:30am-12:30pm and is free and open to the public. This year’s summit will feature speakers, workshops and panel discussions on issues related to improving our communities from housing to green space.

Opening remarks on “Extreme Home Makeover: The Aftermath” will be presented by Aaron Bartley, Executive Director, PUSH Buffalo.

A special workshop session "Greening your Congregation" is planned with representatives invited from eight churches (including UU of Amherst) to showcase their green successes and learn from others. Registration for the free event is available online at http://my.daemen.edu/academics/environmental_summit/. For more information, please contact Brenda Young at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

You are Invited to the WNY Peace Center’s September Meeting
When: Saturday, September 25, 1 pm
Where: Room 100, Allen Hall, South Campus University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14215

The WNY Peace Center's Board of Directors has called the September meeting. All members are strongly encouraged to attend. Please help to spread the word. Thank you. For more information, contact Nanette Cosbey, 759-0982.

PAPER RECYCLING! The Junior Youth Group would like to thank the congregation for its support, and we remind you to keep bringing in your paper for recycling . . . every little bit helps! The Senior High Youth Group will be responsible for collecting the inside recycling baskets and putting them in the bin. Any money earned from the paper collection supports youth activities.

Social Concerns / Economic Justice Task Force

UUs have long been an important part of community dialog and social action. For example, UUs helped refugees reach safety after the Nazis invaded Prague, supported the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, and worked to improve our environment. The UU Church of Amherst has always been part of the movement (e.g., operating an integrated day care program in the 1960s, becoming a Green Sanctuary church today, along with many other examples).

VOICE-Buffalo affirms that the pursuit of the common good is the fundamental organizing principle of a good society. All citizens of our neighborhoods, city and region deserve the opportunities and resources to live in healthy communities.

       Any church member can attend a VOICE meeting. Each month there is an interesting speaker. For more information, contact Pat Burke, Margot Shoemaker, or Warren Marcus.

Fair Trade Coffee for Sale
Our coffee sales resumes on the first Sunday in September - that’s Sept 5. Order your coffee and buy tea or chocolate bars. Your coffee will be available for pick up on the following Sunday.

Cell phone collection
We are collecting used cell phones that have been donated to Haven House. Moneys donated to this organization are used to buy useful goods and a book called Getting Free that are given to women who come to this shelter. You may leave them in the first coat room in the church lobby.

BoxTops/Labels for Education
This is a continuing collection for Gateway-Longview. A large amount of labels was taken "next-door" recently for the programs of the youth facility. Look for the labels on familiar products which you use in your household. Campbell's soups and many cereals have the symbols. Some may be found printed on the plastic wrapping on products. All are acceptable. Place in the basket in the front coat room near the door and they will be taken to Gateway. – Ellen Doyno

Used Eyewear Recycling Project -- Are there eye glasses in your house which are no longer of use to their owners? Your used eyewear can now be donated to One-Sight, a consortium of Pearle Vision, Lenscrafters, Target, Sears and some independent eyecare providers.

The Women's Group has placed a box in the first coat room with brochures for you to read more about the work of OneSight, begun by Dr. Stanley Pearle.

These types of glasses can be accepted: adult and children's eyewear of all prescriptions and non-prescription sunglasses. Do not bring the cases - just the eyewear itself.
Fourteen times a year the glasses are taken to clinics around the world where they are cleaned, analyzed and matched to a needy person. This past June, an employee from the Eastern Hills Mall Lenscrafters store went to Paraguay for two weeks to work at one of these clinics. His trip was subsidized by the organization.

Thanks to all of you who have contributed used eyeglasses. So far, we have been able to collect 50+ pairs of glasses. How wonderful! Please tell your friends and co-workers about this program and encourage them to give you their glasses. Thanks. The Women's Group

Food Donations - Thanks to everyone who has contributed food for the food pantry. The food is distributed at the pantry at University Presbyterian Church to hungry families from northeast Buffalo, Amherst and Tonawanda. With the declining economy, the number of families being served is increasing and the food selection is diminishing. More food donations would be welcome.
Please bring non-perishable foods and leave them in the large wicker basket next to the Welcome Desk in the entrance area. Especially needed are:
                   + Canned soups, fruits and vegetables.
                   + Packages of dried foods such as pasta, cereal, etc.
We can also use packaged flour, sugar, coffee, cookies or cake mixes and the like, or toilet items (soap, toothpaste, tooth brushes, etc.). The food pantry cannot distribute foods in opened packages, homemade foods like jelly or canned fruit, or foods that have exceeded their expiration date.

The Food Pantry at University Presbyterian Church needs volunteers on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:30-4:00.Work with 3 or 4 other volunteers filling grocery bags, checking out clients, or stocking shelves. You can work with a friend.  - Jack Howell

Book Recycling
From the book recycling corner: We have received some very nice books lately, many from Grace Little. Many thanks. We also have a huge stack of mostly old National Geographics. They are free for anyone to take and will be disposed of shortly. Please keep magazine donations current as posted. Thanks, Ellen Doyno

You can see UUCA activities listed in
our monthly events calendar.

NEIGHBOR News

UU Fellowship of Chautauqua Denominational House

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Chautauqua, NY has purchased a large house on the Chautauqua Institution grounds and is currently renovating it for use as a Unitarian Universalist Denominational House. It will offer 6 bedrooms with shared bathrooms for weekly rentals. All rooms have two beds, one is designed as a family room, and another is handicapped accessible. The house has three full baths (one of which is fully handicapped accessible) plus two half baths.

The UU Denominational House is centrally located near Bestor Plaza, the Bookstore and the Colonnade at 6 Bliss. It also offers a place to relax -- including a secluded patio -- for those coming for the day, information for persons interested in UU faith and philosophy, meeting space for programs, and social functions, too.

For information about the UU Fellowship of Chautauqua, the Denominational House, contact information, and reservation forms, please go to uufchautauqua.org. For information about Chautauqua Institution and its programs, visit ciweb.org. 

You can see UUCA activities listed in
our monthly events calendar.

DENOMINATIONAL AFFAIRS

St Lawrence District President's Message
Looking Ahead: Changes and Opportunities

    This is an exciting time in our District's life with numerous changes and new opportunities. Our work together this year as a District will definitely involve negotiating the challenges inherent with any transition. I thought it might be good to lay out the changes we expect will happen this year.
    As you know already, there will be some district staff changes. Rev. Tom Chulak retires as our ¾- time District Executive on July 31 and Connie Goodbread begins her work as our ½- time interim District Executive on August 15. Karen LoBracco, our Program Consultant, will address the needs of congregations during the two week gap as she is doing now during Tom's sabbatical. Jeff Lamicela has started as our new Youth and Young Adult Coordinator. Sue Tabone is keeping everything running smoothly as our District Administrator and is hard at work changing office locations. Our district volunteers, consultants, and coordinators complete our District team with everyone focused on our newly expanded mission to Serve, Connect and Grow our congregations as we continually strive to Widen and Deepen the experience and impact of Unitarian Universalism.
    In addition to our district-based services, there will be new resources available to our District provided through a cooperative regional effort known as the Central East Regional Group (CERG). The St. Lawrence, Ohio Meadville, Joseph Priestly, and Metro districts are all working together to bring the services of three specialists in the areas of growth, leadership, and lifespan faith development to our four district region. There will be more information coming within the next couple of months, so stay tuned.
    Our new Long Range Plan will guide us through some more transitions in an effort to help broaden and deepen the impact of our services to congregations. The plan is available at http://www.sld.uua.org/conggrowth/2010/LRP.pdf. On August 20, our District leadership will gather in Canandaigua to more specifically define some goals for the years to come using the framework of our five year plan. Please send any of your thoughts and ideas regarding the long range plan to the District office from now through August 19.
    We are closing out our fiscal year with the District finances and we thank all of the congregations who have paid their pledge for District and APF support. For those congregations who haven't paid their 2009-2010 pledge to date, we would appreciate if you could do as much as you are able by the end of July so we can close our books.
The St. Lawrence District staff and volunteers look forward to the coming year of adventure as we partner with our congregations to transform our world through promoting the values and principles of Unitarian Universalism.
Karen Palmer, President, St. Lawrence District

Mind, Body and Spiritual Wellness Week at Unirondack – August 22-28
   Looking for adults who wish to spend a week encouraging rejuvenation ,and discovery. Choose from workshops in yoga, mediation, reiki, healing touch, massage, creative journaling, and nature walks, swimming, canoeing and kayaking with healthy delicious meals all in a beautiful lakefront setting in the Adirondacks. A flyer is posted on the bulletin board with more details. Website: Unirondack.org

B & B in the Adirondacks - with the Adirondack Unitarian Universalist Community, Saranac Lake, NY. Stay with friendly folk and enjoy the scenic beauty, fresh air and relaxed pace of the lake region of the Adirondacks. Seasonal utdoor activities include: hiking, canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing, show shoeing, cross country and downhill skiing. Or, relax, visit our art galleries, take an historic tour, visit the Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks, explore Lake Placid. $65 per room, single or double occupancy. Contact Nancy at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Loudoun, VA Fall Winery Tour
Loudoun County, Virginia is fast becoming the Napa Valley of the East Coast! With spectacular rolling hills, great soil conditions, temperate climate, skilled winemakers, and dozens of vineyards, Loudoun has emerged as a leading producer of fine award winning wines. Our convenient proximity to the nation's capitol has earned Loudoun the title of "DC's Wine Country." Come see for yourselves during our special October 8-10, 2010 UU Wine Tour. For details, visit www.uuloudoun.org/tour.htm.

Columbus Day B&B Weekend on Martha’s Vineyard
The U.U. Society of Martha’s Vineyard invites you to join them on October 9 - 11, 2010. Stay with UU families, enjoy a seafood supper and entertainment, an island tour, and Sunday Service at historic Stevens Chapel. On your own hike and bike unspoiled trails and backroads, visit our grand beaches, go bird watching or fishing. Call 508-693-7083 or visit www.UUSMV.info
 

For Sale

BOOKS for Sale: Large selection! Located in the coat room.
Pay for them on honor system. Enjoy! And you are welcome to contribute your own gently-read books and current magazines.

Joan Lorch Staple’s Second Volume Published - Change and Challenge. My Life After Thirty is the sequel of Chance and Choice, My First Thirty Years (2007). It describes the birth of Joan and Peter’s two sons in the 1950s and the change from her life as a London research biologist to motherhood in rural England. After emigrating to Birmingham, AL, Joan and Peter joined the Unitarian Church, which helped them face the challenge of raising their sons in a segregated society. In 1963 the Staples moved to Buffalo, NY, where Joan resumed her research, which involved the “creation” of living amoebas, as well as witnessing the evolution of a new amoeba strain. Coping with teenagers in the Sixties and starting her teaching career at Canisius College complete the story. You can get this book from www.lulu.com

You can see more activities listed in our monthly calendar.

Church Events

The Church is now on Twitter!

    Do you use twitter to keep up to date on people and organizations you are interested in? Well, the Church just got its own twitter account! It is "uuamherst" and if you know what I am talking about you can start following right away.
    If you don't know what I am referring to, twitter is a service that updates you whenever someone you are following posts some message on their twitter account. The catch? It can only be 140 characters long, including spaces and punctuations. So it has to be a real short message.
    For the church, it will just be another way of getting the message out about events and so on, but more like reminders, so there might be one or two messages or "tweets" a day.
    You can get tweets by logging into a webpage or most people have a twitter application that does this for them. You can also have them sent as text messages to your cell phone.
    If you would like to have a tweet sent, email your 140 charater or less message to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
    The standard for messages through twitter won't be as strict as for the email All Church List, so tweets can be about anything that would be of interest to church members not just church-sponsered events, and will contain more news. Like a recent tweet I sent out was what Rev. Tim's sermon will be the next day. You should start following right now!
    Go to: http://twitter.com to get an account. If you are looking for a good Twitter client, go here: http://www.twitstat.com/twitterclientusers.html which shows what the most popular ones are. I use Tweetr which is a Mac client. TWhirl runs on any computer as it uses Adobe AIR. If you have an iPhone you already know what to do.
    This tweeting service is in addition to having our own group on Facebook, and having the All Church e-mail List. We are trying to be more connected so we can build a community outside as well as inside our church and be more there for each other.
    As Martha Stewart says: It's a good thing! - Scott Harrigan

Minister: Reverend Tim Ashton ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
Music Director: Marie Zak
Religious Education Director: Anne Hibbert
Church Administrator/Newsletter Editor: Margot Shoemaker ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

Church Website Volunteers / contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it