November 2007 Newsletter

Vision:  We will be a beacon of progressive religion in our region, inspiring positive change in the world. Mission:  Caring for one another, growing spiritually, and working for justice.

Sunday Services and Religious Education for November 2007

Will be held at Pilgrim Congregational Church, UCC, 2310 East 4th Street in Duluth. Please look carefully at service times. We thank our friends at Pilgrim UCC for their hospitality during our transition time.  Childcare will be provided.

• Sunday, November 4:  4pm, Pilgrim UCC"All Souls"  - Reverend Sally Hamlin, Interim Minister: Ever wonder why so many UU congregations are named "All Souls?" Come and explore this link to our religious heritage.Please bring photos of loved ones who have gone before to place on the altar.
  
  Sunday, November 11:4pm, Pilgrim UCC "Remembering and Forgiveness" -  Reverend Sally Hamlin, Interim Minister.  Forgive and forget?  Remember, then forget?  Remember and forgive . . .what????
  
  Sunday, November 18:4pm, Pilgrim UCC.  "Harvest of Gratitude" - UUCD Worship Committee and UUCD Congregation. This service will be an opportunity to practice and express gratitude for all we have been given.  Please bring offerings from your pantry (or your wallet!) to support the needs of the hungry in the Duluth community.
• Tuesday, November 20: Interfaith Thanksgiving Service! SPECIAL EVENT!!  7 pm Duluth Congregational Church, 3833 East Superior Street. You and your family and friends are invited to take part in this community-wide experience of giving thanks!  This is an exceptional opportunity to participate with many others representing diverse faith traditions.  Please note: If you would like to sing as part of the Interfaith Choir, come early, 6:30pm-6:45, for rehearsal. An offering will be taken to support the work of CHUM . . . so come prepared to share your bounty.
• Sunday, November 25 :4pm, Pilgrim UCC. "Trauma:  How do our 7 Principles inform our response to trauma?" - Tara Richter. Join Tara Richter as she leads us into a deeper view of this topic.

2008 Operating Budget Pledges

If you have sent in your pledge for the 2008 Operating Budget, THANK YOU!! If you have not, PLEASE DO! If you need a pledge form, PLEASE CALL or EMAIL THE OFFICE! 724-0308 uucduluth@gmail.com

From our Interim Minister

Greetings, dear UUCD community!

Unitarian Universalist minister Kenneth Patton wrote:

Even the maple seeds have fallen,
following their leaves, having lost their armor.
Know trees when they are quit of their leaves
or have a few leaves only.   Know the ways of the fruit
when the apple trees are bare.  This is the time
to understand flowers, now that the flowers are gone.
They are better reckoned in absence than presence.
To know what life is study an isolated cell,
perceivable in singularity,
accountable in a diminished state,
which is the naked thorn of November.
We know what life is only when we see
a planet lifeless, children when they are grown,
summer by poking in late autumn’s trash.

The changes that come with November often seem harsh: endless cloudy days, falling temperatures, bursts of bitter winds, more time spent inside.  Right now wind is whipping the lake into frosty rows of foamy grey wings, set upon the glinty surface like so many scales over a mystical dragon’s broad back.  I hear the howling of fall air currents screech through the windows, sounds like ghosts set loose upon the earth, searching for home, for lost loved ones, reciting old lovers’ laments.

In November we will hold worship services at the church of our gracious hosts, Pilgrim Congregational UCC, and we have begun to find some order there for ourselves.  Order filled yet with surprises, coming in the form of the unanticipated, which asks that we extend our sense of flexibility into new territory, begging a new understanding of who we are as a congregation, held together by the very things that might tear a less-connected community apart. 
Thus we begin the season of seasons, where we have multiple opportunities to gather together for celebration after celebration: Remembering our loved ones, feasting and giving thanks, harvesting the bounty of fields now fallow, and moving towards that day that is the shortest day, the Winter Solstice, and Christmas, soon to follow. 

The beginning of the winter holidays can often mean the onset of the season of depression for those who are susceptible to seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.), and melancholy and loneliness for those whose memories of holidays are filled with loss and death.  This season has been commercialized to such an extent that anyone who appears less than gleeful all the time can risk being called Scrooge. 

But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are other possibilities, especially if we take some time to move through these next months with intention to create an alternative way that departs from the commercial and its Buy! Buy! Buy! messages and replace that with our attention, instead, focused on the reason for the season. 

Here are some ideas: find ways to spend some time with others who might need special attention during the holidays; slow down your time spent with family to read a book together, light a candle with a prayer or words focused on the world outside your home, or listen to music together that inspires and uplifts; make some time to sit and - listen to others- take a meal to those living in a shelter and sit and listen to them speak of their lives; listen to yourself- mark some time sacred, and use it to quiet your mind, listen to your breathing, slow down your thoughts, listen to the beat of your heart, and hear the echoes of its yearnings.

There is a lot to look forward to this month and in the busy weeks ahead.  Anticipation is part of what makes life interesting and exciting. Striking a balance between anticipation and staying present for what is happening in the here and now is one aspect of practicing a spiritual discipline that will enhance and enrich your life beyond measure.   As the saying goes: there is no gift like the present!

Rather than see November as Patten sees it "the true-false test we all must take, to find if we deserve a passing grade, and are fit to continue this jaunt of living", see it instead as the opportunity it can be: a quieting time, a time of reflection and restoration.   All of life takes a rest as winter comes on.  Be part of that cycle of life and creation, and rest, reflect and restore, and see how differently life feels come January!

See you on Sunday,
Sally

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES

Please know that the Worship Committee is already hard at work planning UUCD's Holiday Services.  We are aware that we need to have a contingency plan for Christmas Eve services.  Here is our plan thus far, so you can mark your calendars:  Sunday, December 23, 2007, we will have a late afternoon Family Service, followed by a Soup Supper.  Please note: this is Christmas EVE EVE!.  Then, on Christmas Eve, the following night, we will have a Contemplative Service, later in the evening.  Keep your eyes and ears tuned in for more details about these two services- they are going to be spectacular- and look for a surprise setting for our Contemplative Service! 
HINT: Will the Circle Be Unbroken

Sunday Nurturing Sessions

After-service information sessions will be held every other Sunday beginning October 7 until further notice as we progress toward our new home on College Street.  The purpose of these sessions is to give all members and friends an opportunity to receive first hand from leadership the most current information and to ask questions about all that is going on within UUCD.   See you there.

Making It Home!

The incomparable UUCD,

I apologize for not having a promised president’s letter in the October newsletter.  Although I wrote the letter, I mistakenly emailed the September letter to Kathy for inclusion which she rightfully did not duplicate in the October newsletter.  Ah, to err is human, to forgive divine.  Now I will have to cover two months herein.

There is quite a buzz going around the Prairie Star District.  The buzz is that UUCD is a happening place.  Isn’t that the truth?  Even the large Twin Cities congregations are talking about us.  

To help fund College Street, we finally closed on the sale of Winona on September 28, 2007 for $315,000 under a contract for deed by the Islamic Center of Twin Ports.  We have also just received an $8,000 check from a Chalice Lighters grant toward the construction of our new faith home. [If you are not a member of Chalice Lighters please seriously consider becoming a member of this important support of the growth of UUism in our district.  This is the second time Chalice Lighters has funded our building.]  As of September 30, 2007 we have paid 61.79% of our Building Fund Appeal pledges—THANK YOU!   Finally, I anticipate that within the next two weeks the task force and board will have a reasonable ballpark estimate of the final construction costs at College Street so we can make decisions on finishing and the amount of debt we will be working toward reducing as soon as possible.

We await what is called a Certificate of Occupancy at College which requires all health and safety aspects be operational before we can conduct a service, hold a meeting or have staff working in the building.  By the time you read this letter we should have the long sought after water and sewer thanks to the tireless efforts of my dearly beloved spouse, Richard Fryberger.   The move from Winona to College Street went incredibly well thanks to many volunteers led by Dodie Bertilson, Barb Lund and Duane Madison. 

It goes without saying, the building project is moving too slowly—rain, rain go away--and you are not alone if you are feeling somewhat disconnected given our homelessness.  Regardless, I believe our Sunday services at Pilgrim are remarkable thanks to a dedicated Worship Committee and Transition Council.  It was interesting to learn this week that some 100 years or so ago UUCD shared our building with Pilgrim during the construction of their church on East 4th Street.  What goes around comes around.  If you have the opportunity, please thank our good Pilgrim neighbors for their generosity.  In mid-October, the Membership Committee welcomed 13 new people to UUCD’s Newcomer’s orientation in Pilgrim’s living room.  Growth is in the air.

A major positive for us is the serendipitous timing of Now Is the Time to Grow Our Faith, Unitarian Universalism’s first national marketing campaign in fifty years!  Just as we are beginning our own growth campaign to share our faith in our region, the UUA will also be spreading the word about Unitarian Universalism nationwide.  You will hear much more about both growth efforts over the next several years.  William G. Sinkford, President of the UUA says, "Now is the time to transform our faith to become as strong and influential as we can be."   I am particularly pleased that UUCD was ahead of the curve in deciding to grow our faith in our region.   It’s nice to know we are progressive in many ways.

The last thing I want to share with you this month is the incredible work your board did at an all-day workshop on October 6th.  One board member commented, "This was the best orchestrated retreat that I have attended in some time.  At the end of the workshop, I asked the board to share their musings about the workshop so I could share them with you.  The retreat revealed our need to develop a Congregational Covenant, develop Policy Governance, grow our congregation with the help of our new staffing, and finalize our transformation from a Pastoral to a Program Church.

It’s been a great two months.  When’s the last time I told you how much I love you?

In faith, Ann Fryberger
Board President

Board Report

Your Board of Trustees met on September 25, 2007 and worked through the following items:

• We moved the execution of a Promissory Note to the Zeppa Family Foundation that will be finalized soon.
• We moved the execution of Schindler Elevator’s Inspection contract.
• We gratefully accepted Sally Hamlin’s contribution of $100 to combine with Welcoming Congregation’s budget to pay for an interfaith billboard advertising 2008 Opening Our Doors conference.
• We moved to accept the Office Assistance job description.
• We moved to approve the Memorandum of Understanding with Pilgrim Congregational Church outlining the sharing agreement for space during our transition period to College Street.  We also agreed to send a letter of thanks to Pilgrim.
• We agreed to conduct the UUA "Now Is The Time" national advertising campaign fundraiser in January 2008.
• We agreed to conduct by-weekly Q&A nurturing sessions following Sunday services until we are in our new building.
• We continued to work on a fundraising policy.
• We updated our retreat ideas list.
• We received a new Sunday Board Welcome script to reflect our change in service location.
• We received information about the continuing initiative toward a Social Justice/Responsibility Council.

Your Board of Trustees met on October 6, 2008 for an all-day workshop sponsored by Prairie Star District, facilitated by Rev. Laurie Bushbaum and we worked through the following items:

• Lessons from history:  We told the story of UUCD to discovere how the congregation sees itself.
• Interpreting the stories:  We looked at hot spots, land mines, blind spots, opportunities.
• Where do we go from here?  What are the yearnings?
• What will be required of us?
• What should be the goals for the Interim Years developed by focusing on responsibilities of board, interim minister, congregational administrator and shared?
• What will be our measures of success?
• Board members were asked to provide their most relative insights from the workshop for dissemination to the congregation via the November newsletter and board members will be doing Life Matters over the year to share our progress toward a Settled Minister.
• Facilitator Laurie Bushbaum recommended board read Churchworks by Anne Odin Heller for guidance.
• Per Sally Hamlin, facilitator Laurie, commenting at the end of the workshop about our ability to listen to one another, disagree without being disagreeable, engage the challenging conversations, and to remain in the vision, said "Now I believe in miracles."

Hearings Notice

Sundays, December 2 and 9 after the service
Please come to a hearing to answer questions about the 2008 Budget that will be offered for a congregational vote of  approval on Sunday, December 16.

Under Construction

A column to answer questions about our new church home.

Progress continues on our future home on College Street.  The rains of October are presenting a challenge for rapid completion, but there have been causes for celebration.

The City of Duluth has finally given the go ahead to work on our sewer and water line.  An actual witnessing of the sewer drill turning in the earth has been reported.  No small feat!

The architect for our green roof and garden entrance had great accolades for the job that Chris Edwardson and Bunter Knowles did on the vernal pond.  He said it was a very professional job.  Thank you Chris and Bunter!

As this newsletter is being read, it is hoped that our windows have been installed.  If not, they soon will be. 

Within the next week or two the garden walk way will be paved with plantings soon to follow.  We hope to be able to put a picture of the conceptual drawing of the walkway on the UU web page.  Check it out.

The driveway and outside parking areas will also be paved (weather permitting) during the next two weeks as well.

We are expecting the green roof to be installed early November.

We are getting closer!

College Street Project Task Force: Members: Lori Bauman, Alisa DeRider, John Evans, Ann Fryberger, Richard Fryberger, Warren High, Dave Stinson, Beth Travis-Betts, and Geiger Yount. Please call us if you have any questions or concerns.

From the Treasurer

2008 Canvass & Operating Budget

Many of you have returned your pledge forms for 2008.  Thank you.  For those who haven’t, please think about it and then decide on a pledge for our first year in our new home!  We need to know the pledge information so we can prepare a budget for the year.  Here’s the schedule:

• Tues Nov 27: Budget Recommendations by Board of Trustees
• Sun Dec 2: Congregational Hearing for feedback on recommendations
• Sun Dec 9: 2nd Hearing for Feedback
• Sun Dec 16:Congregational Meeting to vote on 2008 Budget

Building Fund Appeal

As this newsletter goes to press, we have collected $427,814, or 62% of the $684,166 in pledges that are eligible for the Zeppa Family Foundation match program.  This means we are only $22,186 from the $450,000 figure, after which the Zeppa Family Foundation 2 for 1 match on all pledge receipts above $225,000 kicks in!  Keep those BFA pledge payments coming!

CIRCLE SUPPERS ‘OVERTURE’ 2007/08

Calling on all interested UU’s and friends alike, to join our collective efforts to get another successful season of CIRCLE SUPPERS off the ground!

As we all eagerly await our new roof over our heads and souls, what could be more rewarding than to meet over food, beverages, good spirits, and among good conversations?

CIRCLE SUPPERS are a traditional gathering among members and friends of UU congregations, as they provide opportunities for fellowship while leisurely meeting, eating, chatting and unwinding.  This first round, or Overture, will take place during the month of November.  Thanksgiving is included, so that "out-of-towners" are able to spend that day among friends.

If all this appeals to you and you would like to attend, call one of the hosts listed below to reserve a space at their supper, or call one of the coordinators.  There are choices of dates, hosts, and "with" or "without" children from which you can choose.

If you would enjoy organizing and hosting one of these suppers, in any style that suits YOU, we would be delighted for your participation as a host/ess!

Coordinators:

Wiebke Erickson wiebkeerickson@hotmail.com
Susan Gibbs akiadesign@msn.com

Dates/Hosts

• Saturday, November 10: Judy Blanck and Pat (Packy) Kearns packykjudyb@usfamily.net. Adult dinner - host will provide entrée
• Saturday, November 10: Jim and Barb Lund blund@lakenet.com. Adult dinner - host will provide entree
• Saturday, November 10, 6:00 pm: David & Geiger Yount geigman@aol.com. Adult dinner for 8 Potluck – host will provide entrée
• Saturday, November 17, 6:30 p.m.: Wiebke Erickson wiebkeerickson@hotmail.com. Adult dinner for 6. Potluck – host to provide entrée
• Saturday, November 17, 6:00 pm: Jim Seitz. jjseitz@charter.net. All ages - potluck
• Thanksgiving, Nov. 22, 6:00 pm: Susan Gibbs & Sar Schnucker. akiadesign@msn.com. All ages - couples, singles, families. Potluck w/roasting @ outdoor fire after

NEW!!!  Sacred Seasonal Sanctuary

Do you have a gift for creating beautiful physical spaces that can make hearts soar and minds rest?  Do you long for a place to share your know-how with fabrics and light and color to enhance the experience of worship?

The Worship Committee is looking for a few folks who enjoy creating spaces of beauty for worship. This new work group called the Sacred Seasonal Sanctuary wants to hear from you.  If interested, contact Bev Harries at 727-3695 for more information.

Music Notes

"Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life."
Ludwig Van Beethoven

There was plenty of effort and uplifting artistry during October services at Pilgrim Congregational Church and hearty thanks go out to: the Choir, Strings Attached, UU Young Singers plus music staff Cyndi Gritzmacher and Karen Bauman.  Special thanks to members of 8 VA who sang the beautiful Reflections by Betsy Anngebrandt during the Honoring the Spirit interfaith service Oct. 21st at Temple Israel! We are making a positive difference in the world!

If YOU enjoy making music and find spiritual nourishment doing so why not try one of our congregation's music groups?   

• The Choir has 2 rehearsals (usually) per month and sings for two services each month. It is open to you at any time.  
• Strings Attached is our acoustic group that meets once monthly on the Sunday they play for service.  Bring your favorite instrument and join in!
• UU Young Singers (Torches/Flames/Sparks) is aimed at PreK through grades 5 and 6 and usually meets once each month to prepare a selection during a Sunday service.  Any youngster in this age group is welcome to join in!.    
• 8 VA is an eight voice singing group which currently has no openings for additional members. 
• Individual musicians are welcome as well!
• Coming in January a YRUU band!  For more information contact Music Programming Administrator Karen Bauman or Choir director Cyndi Gritzmacher

The Holidays are coming up shortly and this time of year has plenty of potential for extra music making during services.   Would you like to help make a December service musically memorable?   Reach music staff Karen Bauman to talk it over. 

NOVEMBER REHEARSAL SCHEDULE

• Sun Nov 4: Young UU Singers 3:30 pm. Pilgrim upstairs Chapel 
• Wed Nov 7: Choir 7:15 pm. Pilgrim Sanctuary (No 8va this evening)
• Sun Nov 11: Choir 3:00 pm. Pilgrim Chapel (then Sanctuary) 
• Wed Nov 14: 8 VA 6:00 pm. Pilgrim Sanctuary. Choir 7:00 pm Pilgrim Sanctuary
• Sun Nov 18: Choir 3:00 pm. Pilgrim Sanctuary 
• Tues Nov 20: Young UU Singers  5:00 pm. Choir 6:15 pm. Duluth Congregational  (3833 E. Superior St.). Interfaith Thanksgiving.
• Sun Nov 25: Strings Attached 3:00 pm. Pilgrim Sanctuary

Reflections on Midwest Leadership School

by Carol Turner

After a truly transformative week at Midwest Leadership School in Beloit, Wisconsin, I've come to the conclusion that leadership is as much an art as science. Good leaders possess the ability to unify a diverse group of people to work effectively together towards a common purpose (please take note of the word "diverse" for I will later explain how the MWLS instructors used diversity as a cornerstone for its leadership program.)   Good leaders empower each member of the group while inspiring individuals to channel their ideas towards a shared goal.

A Quick Synopsis

Included within the general information packet mailed to each MWLS student in June was a Meyers-Briggs personality test to be mailed in weeks prior to our arrival.  Hmmm, I naively thought while sealing the envelope, what are they going to do with this???

Well, what the MWLS facilitators, Mary Ann Williams and Richard Torstrick, did was use the results from the Meyers-Briggs test to carefully-select diverse groups with a variety of personality attributes.  These diverse groups were put in "committees" to solve hypothetical problems. 

Leadership challenge #1: practicing communication, problem-solving, consensus-building and diplomacy skills with a "control group" of strangers.

So there we were -- Introverts and Extraverts alike, Intuiting-Sensing, Feeling-Thinking, Perceiving-Judging -- intentionally put in groups with others different from ourselves.  I felt a bit like a lab rat (not the most flattering of metaphors) thrown into a room with a variety of other rodents and expected to "get along."  On second thought, that’s not exactly a fair analogy because our talented lab techs (Mary Ann and Richard) taught us valuable theories and lessons on "getting along" before they turned us loose in the maze of group dynamics:

Each morning MWLS participants sat in class learning all types of information regarding group dynamics, formal group roles (leader, recorder, time keeper, etc...) and informal group roles (harmonizer, follower, interrupter, etc...).  We went over how decisions are made (by consensus, unanimous, majority, minority, decision by one...).  We discussed the stages in group life cycles, and a whole variety of organizational models.   

After class, we were then separated into the aforementioned groups to put theory to practice:  we used our newly-learned information to work together to solve hypothetical problems (one "hypothetical problem" my group worked on was choosing to build a new church...).  The process was sometimes difficult, people became exasperated, yes, tempers flared.  But, as a rule, using the tools presented in class, consensus was reached.

Additionally, each day we had marvelous lectures on theology:

Reverend Scott Prinster (former minister in Madison) talked about the etymology of the words religion, spirituality and faith.  RELIGION comes from the Latin ligare "to reconnect".  SPIRITUALITY comes from the Latin, spirare, "to breathe," and FAITH comes from a root meaning "to journey". He described Unitarian Universalism as a "living, breathing religion that allows us to reconnect with one another and the interdependent web of all living things on our faith journey".

Reverend Todd Eklof shared his UU adaptation of the Ten Commandments: They are as follows:

1. I’m the kind of God that sets people free.  Don’t put anything before liberty.
2. Don’t become so materialistic that you forget what’s really important in life.  Materialism will cause your children and grandchildren to suffer of years to come.  Love is all you need.  It will sustain the world for thousands of years.
3. Don’t arrogantly assume you can know the mind of God by attributing your behavior to my will.
4. Take a break at least once a week, and make sure everyone, including animals, has the same opportunity.  The earth is a masterpiece!  Respect and enjoy it.
5. Provide for your elders
6. Don’t kill-period!
7. Don’t ever make sex one-sided.
8. Don't’ take more that you need at someone else’s expense.
9. Don’t lie about others to benefit yourself.
10. Don’t scheme to take things away from other people.

Several highlights of this trip for me were:

1. Being a lab rat and having to practice navigating through a maze with people who had vastly differing perspectives
2. Returning with insights and tools to be a better problem solver and consensus-builder in my own congregation
3. Meeting other DRE’s from the Midwest and getting some great ideas from them!
4. Additionally, the theological lectures have me thinking about how I might better incorporate UU principles as a navigational tool for youth exploring ethical dilemmas, forging spiritual paths, and creating moral compasses for themselves.

It was a week chock-full: challenging, yet undeniably rewarding.   I continue to reflect upon my experience at Midwest Leadership School and highly recommend it for anyone thinking about attending.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS

"Mr.and Mrs.Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say they were perfectly normal. They were the last people you’d expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn’t hold with such nonsense." J.K. Rowling

"We need not all think alike to love alike" Francis David

By and large kids have delighted in exploring shared values and personal ethics with our playful Harry Potter curriculum.  Older students have mentored younger as they donned invisibility cloaks and roamed from center to magical center.  Students have been sorted by the sorting hat into UU adaptations of houses: Pachem, Equos, Justatum & Digtatum.

While this delightful piece of fiction has raised eyebrows in some circles, I am personally delighted to say that there has been mature open dialog (no surprise!) and an openness of heart within our community regarding the use of Harry Potter as a learning tool.

A lesson regarding bullying particularly resonated with our kids. Students shared personal experiences regarding the subject.  This discussion helped evoke empathy and sympathy not merely with fictional characters but with non-fictional members of our community (and beyond) who have suffered from teasing, bullying and other forms of discrimination. This lesson also served as the perfect segue for discussing the UU Principles: Our belief in the inherent worth and dignity of every person, and justice equity and compassion in human relations.

Like King Arthur, Aesops, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, even Star Wars, Harry Potter allows children to explore the archetypal characters and the age-old, black and white theme of the  battle of  good and evil in a developmentally appropriate way.  It also allows kids to explore the grey zone of ethical dilemmas (that don’t come with clear-cut answers).

What better way to support our children in their  free and responsible search for truth and meaning, than to use our Principles as a navigational tool to explore ethical dilemmas, forge spiritual paths, and creating moral compasses for themselves.
I am looking for parents who are interested in corresponding online or meeting periodically to discuss the content and direction of our religious education curriculum. I welcome your comments, questions, concerns and dialogs. 

Carol Turner
Director of Religious Education   cgeot1@gmail.com

YRUU NEWS

Our Youth have been taking time out of their busy, busy schedules to meet Wednesday evenings
at Pilgrim Congregational. They have written a group covenant of their own which includes the importance of mutual respect and the need for laughter.

Special thanks to Anita Goellner, Brian Barber, Liz McPeak and Kathy Heltzer for helping out with the YRUU sleepover retreat at Janette Pollay Camp.

Youth have read and discussed our Unitarian Universalist principles. They have compared and contrasted a traditional version and a Unitarian Universalist version of  The Ten Commandments.

This past week, science teacher (and UU member) John Kedrowski, challenged us with a mind-bending puzzle that involved two people, two pieces of string and a requirement to "think out of the box."  Those Weintraub girls figured out the solution faster than yours truly who was as tangled as a kite in tree.

This coming week Tom Starkey (one of our chaperones to Biloxi) will speaking about spirituality. 

I am looking for several parents and YRUU members to help out with YAC (our Youth Adult Committee), which serves as the YRUU steering committee for the year. Ideally, we will correspond via email and meet every-other-month (or so) to plan activities and set goals for YRUU.  It is very important that youth have a say
in the direction of YRUU.

Please contact Carol Turner at cgeot1@gmail.com

COME JOIN YRUU FOR  "ONE: THE MOVIE" & SPIRITUAL DISCUSSION

Wednesday, November 14, 7:00 p.m. Pilgrim Congregational Church,Tower Room, Third Floor.  (This is a tentative date & location be sure to check the bulletin and website).

YRUU is looking at some of the big questions of spirituality. What is God? Life after death? or is this just it? What do other people believe?  Come join our young adults for popcorn and check out "One:The Movie; A Contemporary Journey Toward a Timeless Destiny" with Tich Nat Hahn, Deepak Chopra, Father Thomas Keatins and many others talking about some of these questions and then join in a unique one on one  discussion after wards. Contact person Tom Starkey. Movie info at (onetheproject.com) --check out the trailers.

Musings from the Membership Steering Committee

We, as a congregation, are in the midst of exciting times.  As we inhabit our new space, we anticipate increased interest and visitors from the larger community.

Remember how it felt to walk into the service or the social hour the first few times?  Whether it was 2 or 20 years ago, you may recall the awkwardness of feeling alone in a place where everyone else was engaged in laughter and conversation.

I can remember vividly, when no one noticed or approached me and I left feeling uncomfortable. I also remember when I was greeted with a warm smile and engaged in conversation.  That was the beginning of feeling connected and wanting to be a part of this community.

As we enter this new phase, I would encourage everyone to take time before or after services to greet someone new and share a few moments with him or her.  After all, it is the people, caring for each other that make our community such a special part of our lives.

Rhonda Holmen

IMAGINE!

MEMBERSHIP STEERING COMMITTEE MUSINGS. Molly Benson

When my grandson was two, I mentioned that I was 52, and he said, "That's how old my mom is."
"How can that be, when I'm the mother and she's the daughter?"
He only thought for a minute before he replied, "IMAGINATION!"
OK, UUCDers! If a two-year old can do it, can't we? Let's IMAGINE our congregation with 250, maybe 315, 400, or more members! All of our reasons for being part of this vibrant community shared with ever and ever more people.
Just IMAGINE! That's the FIRST STEP. Keep tuned--lots about the NEXT STEPS will be forthcoming.
Mzmzmzmzmzmzmzmzmzmzmzmzmzmzmzmzmzmzm

Green Corner

The Green Sanctuary Committee is pleased to report that a new pond/vernal pool has been constructed at our College Street site.  The individual most responsible for this beautiful addition to our outdoor sanctuary is Bunter Knowles.  Bunter developed a plan, prepared a budget, presented the budget to the College Street Project Task Force, found a good contractor (Misty Bay Construction), and spent the better part of three days on site.  He had help with raking, planting seed (annual rye), and spreading straw from Dave Yount, Barb Akre, and Chris Edwardson.   We don’t know exactly what this pond will look like in the future.  It has a clay "liner" and is holding full with our recent deluge of rainfall.  However, it is important to remember that this pond may dry up in the summer, but it is a valuable ecosystem.  On the land surrounding the pond we hope to grow native wild flowers and grasses. 

When our new home is finished it will be important to let the community know how we have constructed and finished the building to be environmentally sensitive within the constraints of our budget.  The greatest expense and possibly the greatest long-term impact is the use of underground parking and an extensive green roof to minimize water runoff from the site.  We have also used an environmentally friendly water-based, locally manufactured, finish for our beams and ceiling.  As we continue to purchase and install additional eco-friendly products, we will report these in the Green Corner.

Opening Our Doors (OOD) 

This is an annual interfaith conference which examines ways denominations and congregations can be more welcoming and inclusive of GLBT people.

The 2008 conference will be held at our College St. building with UUCD acting as host.  Friday April 4th -  7 pm -  an 8 voice GLBT singing group, OVation, will present a concert at College St. as a fund raiser for OOD followed Saturday April 5th with the conference itself. Rev. Keith Kron from the UUA office of GLBT concerns is the dynamic key note speaker.  There will be music, worship, food, denominational breakout sessions, a panel, and more!

YOU are needed to join in the planning and presentation of this wonderful conference!  Oct. 30th at the "Copper top" Methodist church the most recent OOD meeting will have occurred.  Watch in the weekly order of service for future meeting dates and times.  Then join in!

Questions?   Karen Bauman may be able to answer them.

ADULT ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS: November-December, 2007

No need to sign up, just show up.  Everyone is welcome--member, friend or acquaintance!

Book and Literature Discussions

Faith Without Certainty: Liberal Theology in the 21st Century by Paul Rasor, is a five-part discussion series led by Marree Seitz and Hal Bertilson which began in October with three more sessions to go.  Sue Dailey has offered her house as a meeting place. Call Sue if you need more directions.)  

Fresh and timely, this book explores the dynamic tensions of religious liberalism, a theology that is committed to individual freedom on the one hand and a greater sense of community on the other.  Much more than a primer, this work identifies the underlying characteristics of liberal theology, delving into its historical, intellectual and social context.  Perfect for readers who want a better understanding of a religious tradition that is rooted in one’s own experience and conscience.

Nov. 1, Session Three: The Post Modern Challenge
Nov. 15, Session Four: The Problem of the Self: Religious Experience         and Language
Dec. 6, Session Five: Liberation Theology and the Challenge of Racism

Hemingway.  This two-part series will be offered by Cal Benson, retired English teacher and long-time fan of Ernest Hemingway. 

• Part One: The short stories Indian Camp and The Big Two-Hearted River
• will be read and discussed on Tuesday, October 23 at 7:15 p.m. in the Sanctuary at Winona Street.  Cal will show participants how to approach reading a Hemingway work.
• Part Two: The novel The Sun Also Rises will also be discussed as the November selection of the UU Pretty Good Book Group on Tuesday, November 27 (NOTE DATE CHANGE) at 7:15, at Sue DeNio’s home. Cal feels that Hemingway had more influence on all writers who followed him than any other author.

UU PRETTY GOOD BOOK CLUB

The UU pretty good book club is open to everyone, not just members.  If you enjoy reading good books and discussing them, why don't you join us.  Meetings are usually the third Tuesdays of the month BUT IN NOVEMBER WE WILL MEET THE FOURTH TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27.   Locations will change monthly until we are in our new home on College Street. Descriptions of the next few months' selections are below.  More information about the books can be found by doing a Google search.

• NOVEMBER SELECTION (Note date change) -  The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway.  Cal Benson will lead this discussion of what he considers the best book in American literature on November 27 at 7:15, at Sue DeNio's home.  With the publication of The Sun Also Rises in 1926, Ernest Hemingway had his first great success as a writer.  This is the novel that spoke for what Gertrude Stein called the "lost generation," the young men and women who lived through the heady and uncertain period following World War I. Depicting a group of lively but aimless expatriates who travel across France and Spain-drinking, fishing, and going to the bullfights at the Pamplona fiesta-this book gained a special hold on the young Hemingway's contemporaries.
• DECEMBER SELECTION -  Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, Tuesday, December 18 at 7:15, location unkown at this time.  An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of star-crossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of Riding Lessons, it tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.
• JANUARY SELECTION --  Woman Warrior by  Maxine Hong Kingston, Tuesday, January 15, 2008 at 7:15 at UUCD, College Street, Library or Lounge. The Woman Warrior is a pungent, bitter, but beautifully written memoir of growing up Chinese American in Stockton, California. Maxine Hong Kingston (China Men) distills the dire lessons of her mother's mesmerizing "talk-story" tales of a China where girls are worthless, tradition is exalted and only a strong, wily woman can scratch her way upward. The author's America is a landscape of confounding white "ghosts"--the policeman ghost, the social worker ghost--with equally rigid, but very different rules. Like the woman warrior of the title, Kingston carries the crimes against her family carved into her back by her parents in testimony to and defiance of the pain.
  For more information, contact Carol Michealson at cmicheal@d.umn.edu.

Caring Corner

The Caring community has been more active than we like to be this past month.  We are pleased that Bonnie Keeling's heart attack was not a major one and that she is recovering very quickly. John Langdon is scheduled for chemo this month and we are wishing him the best possible results.   Bob Hart is in Bayshore Nursing Home and appreciates visitors. Best time is late morning or afternoon about 3 PM or so.  He has supper sometime after 5 PM.  Remember that we all are in this together and are always ready to jump into action.  Julie or Warren

Here’s an update from Tom Betts about Beth:

Hi all:
Tonight, October 15, Beth and I leave for another round of chemo in Minneapolis. She'll endure IV chemo on Tuesday and IP chemo (the inter- peritoneal) on Wednesday. She has actually been handling these without getting sick. Her doctor is so impressed with the drop in her cancer markers that she has eliminated the last series of three chemos. She is half way through the program now and her energy level swings from day to day up and down, but she isn't dealing with feeling real sick, though some pain medicine is still being used.

We carry a constant feeling that you are all there for us! We've had all manner of help along the way and often wonder out loud, how people do this without friends like you.

A lesson I've learned; don't ever be afraid to send a funny card to someone enduring a long illness. It's been good for us to laugh everyday.

Love to all from both of us.
Tom Betts

Special Events Update

To Be or Not to Be...?  That is the question!  Or, should we say,"When is it to be?" or "Where is it to be?"  The Uncommon Goods and Goodies Bake and Craft Sale is still set for Sunday, December 9th, but some of the details are still up in the air.  If everyone is as flexible and understanding as you have been with our topsy-turvy UU services, then we are ahead of the game!  We will be recruiting people as we get closer to the date.  More details later, as they say! 

2008 Prairie Star District Annual Conference: "Rebuilding a Faithful Democracy" April 11-13, 2008, Omaha, Nebraska. Embassy Suites Hotel Omaha, Downtown/Old Market.

• Keynote Speaker: Charlie Clements, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.
• Judy Lecturer: Rev. Meg Riley, Director of Advocacy and Witness, Unitarian Universalist Association,  "Democratic Faith; Faithful Democracy."

Please consider attending the 2008 PSD Conference!  In 2009 this conference is being hosted by UUCD right here in Duluth.  It is important that we have a presence in Omaha.  Submitted by the PSD 2009 UUCD Local Organizing Committee.

We Thank You

• Many thanks to Ron Anderson for his years of service as the chairperson for the Building and Grounds Committee. We are all very grateful for all your good work!
• Another big hug and hurrah! goes to Jim Lund for taking and donating the stunning photo on the front cover of our new photo directory!
• Thanks and Welcome to our newest volunteer— Laura Kenig,, a newcomer to our congregation who is already finding ways to contribute her talents!

Monthly Birthday Celebrations – Coming soon to a coffee hour near you!

Once we move into our new building, we will celebrate birthdays together once a month as part of Coffee Hour.  Stay tuned for more information about this new plan.  In the meantime, if you would like to take part in planning this fun community activity, contact Kathy Stinnett (724-0308) to get involved.

Directory Additions & Corrections

* Please note: full details are not included in this web based version of the newsletter (we do not include home phone numbers and home addresses in the online newsletter)
Please note the following corrections and additions to the new photo directory:

• Correction:  Dan and Carol Burrows phone # (see hard copy of newsletter or contact Kathy Stinnett for details (724-0308)
• Additions: Lisa Johnson, Sally Johnson: thorsburg@charter.net     

PUZZLE PEACE

The Northland's Interfaith Children's Choir welcomes youth, ages preschool through middle school, to join us for the following events in November: 

• THUR NOV. 15: Arrowhead Interfaith Council ANNUAL DINNER EVENT at the Eastern Orthodox Church, 5907 Grand Ave., Duluth. 5:00  Vespers (optional); 5:45  Dinner & Singing. REHEARSALS:  TBA 
• TUES.  NOV. 20:  INTERFAITH THANKSGIVING SERVICE at Duluth Congregational Church, 3833 E. Superior St., Duluth. 5:00  Pizza supper and rehearsal. 7:00  Service. REHEARSALS:  TBA.  (We will sing the same songs for both events!) 

For further information, contact volunteer director, Cyndi Gritzmacher, thru the UUCD (Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth).

Sponsored by the Arrowhead Interfaith Council.

PUZZLE PEACE -- putting the world together, piece by PEACE!

Announcing the startup of a Social Responsibility Council

The concept of a coordinating and facilitating council for the social justice and social responsibility area has been in discussion for some time now. Thanks to suggestions from several of our Committees and Councils, there will be a startup meeting regarding this topic soon. Below is a draft charge for this council from the Board of Trustees. If you are interested in participating in this council, or have suggestions or questions about the draft charge shown below, please email Dan Burrows at dburrows1@gmail.com. He will include your email address in the email startup and discussion regarding this new Council.

Social Responsibility Council Charge - DRAFT #3

Mission: Caring for one another, growing spiritually, and working for justice.
Vision: We will be a beacon of progressive religion in our region, inspiring change in the world.

The Social Responsibility Council shall evaluate and recommend action regarding the congregational response to social, political, economic, environmental issues. The action shall be guided by the Principles of Unitarian Universalism and the Vision and Mission of UUCD. The themes picked will match well with the goals (or main focus if goals are not set) of the congregation for the year. The Social Responsibility Council reports to the Outreach Trustee.

The following are example items that the Social Responsibility Council could help facilitate and coordinate:

1. Brainstorm ways to encourage members to engage in issues.
2. Coordinate and foster communication among social responsibility groups in the congregation.
3. Help coordinate fundraising efforts and help facilitate the designation of funds for social responsibility projects and causes.
4. Provide visibility for UUCD social responsibility activity in the larger community.
5. Coordinate the affiliation of UUCD with Unitarian Universalist  Association social justice efforts, initiatives and programs.
6. Support UUCD in interfaith social responsibility activities.
7. Provide infrastructure to coordinate sponsorship and support to present and new programs.
8. Field social responsibility topics and help brainstorm the best venues to present them (Sunday services, forums, life matters, adult enrichment etc) and support the appropriate program areas to help arrange the presentations.
9. Provide regular communication through the Newsletter.

Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community  www.uujec.org

Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community is an excellent opportunity for our UUCD justice work.  Go to the web page at www.uujec.org and you will find excellent resources for your service to justice.  Read about the Walmart Campaign, the Great Turning 2007-8 Campaign, and the February 2004 UUJEC Mexico Cross Border Trip.

The Meaning of Economic Justice

Economic justice means building a fair economy that works for everyone. It means fair trade policies that protect workers' rights to organize and to receive a living wage for their work at home and abroad. It includes budget and tax policies in which corporations and wealthy individuals pay their fair share, and which support good schools and childcare, affordable healthcare and housing, retirement security, and a safety-net for those in need. It promotes the common good by funding public services. It means calling for new national priorities that reduce wasteful military spending and redirect tax dollars to helping our children, elders, and communities meet their needs. It includes notions of a social contract in which society and individuals fulfill their mutual responsibilities to each other. Economic justice also embraces a vision of economic human rights. – AFSC

For more information talk to Hal Bertilson, Denominational Affairs Chair at hbertils@uwsuper.edu

Network of Spiritual Progressives

A Duluth Chapter of the Network of Spiritual Progressives (NSP) has been started this fall.  The idea for forming this chapter evolved from our UU Adult Enrichment discussions last winter of Michael Lerner's The Left Hand of God: Taking Back the Country from the Religious Right.  "NSP is a community of people from many faiths and traditions, called together by the Spiritual Covenant with America (see www.spiritualprogressives.org) and its vision of healing and transforming our world. We include in this call both the outer transformation needed to achieve social justice, ecological sanity, and world peace, and the inner healing needed to foster loving relationships, a generous attitude toward the world and toward others unimpeded by the distortions of our egos. Our movement will encourage a habit of generosity and trust, and the ability to respond to the grandeur of creation with awe, wonder and radical amazement."  For information about when meetings of NSP-Duluth are scheduled contact Hal Bertilson at hbertils@uwsuper.edu

DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE

Spirit Valley Young Mothers News

            A new mother and baby arrived recently at Spirit Valley.  Two-week-old Cassandra has spina bifida, but has had surgery and is doing quite well.  There are now six mothers and babies, but a new mother will be joining the group soon. 
            Through a grant written by the YWCA, Spirit Valley is hiring a new, full-time staff person in January to work with moms who leave Spirit Valley after their allotted staying time of two years.  The new staff person will help them adjust to living on their own and will work with moms who have left the program during the past year.

Holiday Party!!

A Holiday Party for the moms and babies will be held the evening of December 10, and UUs will have an opportunity to provide gifts for the babies and gift cards for the mothers as we did last year.  Because the children get quite a few used clothes, toys or books are suggested.  Besides the newborn, there are three children under one year and two toddlers around two years of age.  There are four girls and two boys.  Their names and ages are:  Cassandra – two weeks (clothes are okay for her); Jacen, a two-month-old boy; Aniyah, an 18-month-old girl; Delilah, a girl of 11 months; Montana, a two-year-old girl, and Logan, a two-year-old boy.  Since we don't have a place to put a gift tree like last year, please contact Carol Michealson at 727-1754 if you would like to provide a gift for a child or make a contribution toward a gift card for the mothers.  She will make arrangements to pick up gifts in late November or early December. Our Christmas gifts may be the only ones received by some of the mothers and children. 
            In January there will be an information meeting for people to learn more about this program and to get involved.  Tammi Johnson, the director, will tell us about the program and how it helps young, and often homeless mothers, and describe more opportunities to get involved.  More information about this program and the information meeting will be in the January newsletter.

CHUM (Churches United in Ministry)

Thanks to those of you who "stepped up" when asked to support the Night Without a Home/Sleepout and Homeless Connect events in October. Both of these were to raise awareness of poverty and homelessness in our community and to provide money and donations to those most in need. We raised $80.00 after our service on October 14th which was passed along to CHUM.  As a CHUM member  congregation we are committed to "answering the call" when they need us.

CHUM FALL ASSEMBLY NOVEMBER 1ST
On Thursday, November 1st Peace Church is hosting the CHUM Fall Assembly.  Social @ 6:30pm and program @ 7pm.  Keynote Speaker is Rob West who will be speaking about an emerging partnership with CHUM related to employment for those in poverty. Come and see how our congregation can help with this important work!   Our CHUM delegates for this year are Kathy Heltzer and Beth Tamminen. Contact them if you are interested in getting involved!

Several YRUU youth participated in the CHUM city-wide events of September 13th and $110 and clothing items were donated to "Project Homeless Connect" by YRUU

"Guest at Your Table 2007-2008"

Mark your calendars, on November 18th the "Guest at Your Table" program, will kick-off with the distribution of the UUSC's classic donation boxes, to all our younger members, and anyone else who wants to get involved. The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee has been in the front lines protecting human rights, for more than 65 years. Your family's donations will go to a host of inner-sponsored charities, of which some are:

• The Rebuilding of New Orleans
• Making the right to having clean drinking water
• Strengthening the rights of child laborers
• Drumbeat for Darfur
• And various other humanitarian crises

The program will end, with a gathering of all the boxes on January 20th 2008. For more information please contact Paul Eckhardt your Board's Outreach Trustee, or go to www.uusc.org.   Thank You for another great year!

Peace and Justice News and Events

November meeting will be held on Saturday, November 10, 2007 at 10:00 am at Sue Dailey's house (call for directions).  The meeting will include an address by author Paul Loeb: "Peacemaking: Looking Inward and Speaking Out" from the 2007 UU General Assembly which was sponsored by the UUA Commission on Social Witness.  Loeb has written two books: Soul of a Citizen and The Impossible Will Take a Little While.  He acknowledges our ethics in the US of volunteering, while our culture strongly favors doing it yourself, even when common action is what is needed.  He offers examples of courage and recommends actions that 1) achieve the immediate goal and 2) bring people into the stream of involvement.  All are welcome.

Peacemaking Colloquia

Hal Bertilson will be giving a colloquia address on Peacemaking in the Danielson Alumni Room of the Rothwell Student Center at UW-Superior during the noon hour on Thursday, November 1.  Hal teaches Peace Psychology and is involved in a number of peacemaking initiatives including the forming of a new Student Peace Center on Campus. Parking near the student center may be obtained from the Welcome Center on the Corner of Catlin and Belknap.

Guidelines for Newsletter Submissions

The newsletter for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth is produced monthly and released by the first of each month. It is available online at www.uuduluth.org. THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS TO THE DECEMBER NEWSLETTER IS NOVEMBER 15. Priority will be given to items received on time; late submissions may not be included due to space constraints. Submissions should be directed to the Congregational Administrator at uucduluth@gmail.com. If at all possible, please email newsletter submissions (uucduluth@gmail.com) rather than handwriting them or leaving a print copy in the church office.  When emailing, please both embed and attach submissions in a .doc (Microsoft Word) format, and write "Newsletter" in the subject heading. Be sure to include a contact name and phone number.