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In The Interim w/ Rev. Craig |
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Welcome to January 2022!!!
Let's focus on Worship, Develop Leadership , and Self Care.
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Interim Goals:
Connect & Orient Honor History Explore Identity
Develop Leadership Denominational Engagement Prepare for New Ministry
Areas of Ministry:
Worship Pastoral Care Staff Support Committee Support
Programming Social Justice Community Self Care
Welcome to January 2022!!! Let's focus on Worship, Develop Leadership , and Self Care.
Worship – As I write this, we are preparing for the Christmas Eve candlelight service. I am both excited and nervous about crafting a service that serves our spiritual needs, allows for our traditions and rituals, and keeps us all safe. Of course, that's the concern with every worship service we plan together right now. I want to thank all of you for doing your part to make our worship time together so collaborative and meaningful, while also following the safety protocols. We are learning and adapting and growing together.
We've got some exciting services planned for January, with the theme of “Begin Again.” Riley Johonson will be leading us off with a service on January 2nd. The Anti-Racism team will be leading a service related to the proposed 8th principle on the 16th. (Don't know what the 8th principle is...? Come to the service and find out!) And we have some special things planned for the 9th of January, Emily's last day with us-- I hope you can join us and help send her on her way with our love and gratitude.
Develop Leadership – We are currently searching for two new staff members. We have conducted initial interviews for Music Director and will be conducting a 2nd interview and audition with one of them this month. (We needed to wait until the holidays were over.) If all goes well, we'll be announcing our new Music Director this month. The Director of Lifespand Faith Development position has been posted and we are sifting through applicants now. If you know anyone who you think would be a good fit for that position at UUCV, please send them our way NOW. We hope to be interviewing qualified candidates this month.
Self Care – I hope you had a wondeful holiday. I hope it was also a safe holiday. The pandemic, I'm sorry to say, is still with us-- and at the time of this article, the transmission numbers, hospital admissions, and deaths from it are higher than they have ever been. The latest variant appears to be 3-5 times more infections than the previous one. Cheryl and I are going back to a more cautious practice of lock-down. We cancelled our plans to drive to WI over the winter break. While we and Cheryl's father, Ben, are all vaccinated, we are all also in the high risk category. And so, we are taking this quite seriously. I advise all of you to do the same. Please, be wise in your choices and behaviors right now. Take all the necessary precautions.
At UUCV, we are continuing with our current safety protocols. It is my sincerest hope that we will get to a point soon where we can relax some of those protocols-- but under the current conditions, that would not be a prudent decision. Some time in the near future, we will all be able to gather together for social hour and communal events-- but when we do, I want to make sure all of us are going to be there.
Cooperatively,
Rev. Craig
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January Worship
January 2 – “Befriending Fear” Fear is one of our most useful emotions, but we are constantly trying to distance ourselves from it. What could it look like if we stopped running and spent some time with it instead? Riley Johnson leads the service with worship associate Nikki Fry.
January 9 – “Your Word” Some years back, a member of a congregation I served shared her new year’s ritual. She chose a word for the coming year. That word would be a meditation, a mantra, a focus for her. It’s an interesting spiritual practice. Some times one word isn’t enough. I wonder what word or words I should choose for 2022. What’s your word? Rev. Craig Schwalenberg preaches with worship associate Riley Johnson.
January 16 – “The Eighth Principle?” “We, the members of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in our ourselves and our institutions.”
Can the Eighth Principle help us live more fully into our UU values and mission? Cheryl Parsons will lead the service with worship associates Wendy Gebb and members of the Social Justice Committee.
January 23 – “Falling, Dropping and Falling” There is an art to falling down and dropping balls. There is a purpose and meaning in failing. They can all be painful. Life is all about knowing they are inevitable and moving forward anyway. Rev. Craig Schwalenberg preaches with worship associate Chris Kapp.
January 30 – “What’s Next?” All is in flux. The world is always changing, as are we. Change can be scary; it can be exciting. It helps to acknolwedge what’s changed. And then, with a sense of purpose, decide together, “What’s next?” Rev. Craig Schwalenberg preaches with worship associate Bev Motich
We are now meeting in person or Join us for worship on ZOOM. or “listen in” (without video) by telephone, by calling 646-876-9923 and entering Meeting ID 550 751 6685
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The UUCV Book Discussion group meets via Zoom on the 4th Sunday of each month at 6:30 pm. Dates and titles can be found on our website: https://uucv.org/fellowship/book-group/ . Please join us for a lively discussion, newcomers are always welcome!
The selection for January 23rd is “You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism” by Lacey Lamar and Amber Ruffin. You may recognize Amber Ruffin from
Late Night with Seth Meyers, but her sister Lacey still lives in their home state of Nebraska. Lacey’s experiences with racism are told through hilarious banter between the two sisters, making this book engaging and informative.
Please email Pam at UUCV (pmartin@uucv.org) or the Book Discussion coordinator, Riley Johnson (riles1806@gmail.com) if you have any questions.
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UUCV Grocery Cards for Sale
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We are still available for you to purchase grocery card sales for Weis, Karns and Giant...and remember you can use your Giant card for gas also.
Send an email to Pam with your order and the cards will be mailed to your home. You can pay by sending a check to UUCV, PO Box 207, Boiling Springs, PA 17007 or you can pay by credit card directly to Pam...indicate in your email if you want to pay by credit card and Pam will arrange the payment with you.
Thanks for continuing to support UUCV.
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UUCV Mitten Tree
UUCV is collecting NEW mittens, gloves, socks, hats and scarves for kids and adults to donate to CARES. Please place items on the Mitten Tree in the sanctuary by Sunday, January 9.
You can also drop off your items at the church office between January 3 - January 7 anytime between 8:30 am and 1:30 pm.
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Capital Campaign
2022 - Is the Finish Line in Sight? |
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2021 – Amazing Progress
Wow, the changes we have witnessed in our building during 2021!
2021’s NEW improvements include: remodeled and accessible restrooms, “hospitality hub” kitchenette, upgraded custodial closet, exterior doors, carded access system, automated lobby entrance, ceiling tiles in the lobby, bright lights in the lobby and lower hallway, maintenance-free soffits and rain gutters, and extensive electrical upgrades. All major renovations to the building are completed!!
Changes are progressing in the kitchen. During the summer, electrical upgrades and a commercial three-compartment sink were installed. New LED ceiling lights and a fan upgrade are now being installed. The new larger refrigerator and two stoves have arrived.
2022 – Getting to the Finish Line
Fingers crossed and with great anticipation, we hope Capital Campaign projects will reach the finish line! (Memory check, we started planning the CapCam in 2017.)
Thanks to generous donations to the “Let’s Finish This Right” drive, we have the funds to complete three essential outside projects. Work will include: create accessible entry to the lobby entrance, repair/paint the steeple, and pave all parking areas.
CapCam Financial Notes
1. December 2021 concludes our three-year pledge payment period. Every donation and pledge will matter as we push toward the finish line. It has been a long journey since our visioning and planning days, but together we are preparing UUCV for the future. THANK YOU!
2. After the three major projects are paid in full (price increases by spring seem likely), our priorities will be finishing originally planned items for the yard activity/play area and the kitchen.
Happy New Year from your Capital Campaign Steering Committee!
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Dreaming Together
When we gathered TOGETHER at UUCV’s Capital Campaign Kick Off picnic on August 26, 2018, we had big dreams of what we could accomplish TOGETHER over the next few years. While we have not yet crossed the finish line, we have come a long way during very trying times. TOGETHER we have made many of our dreams come true and there’s more to come in the spring of 2022.
For those who have fulfilled their pledge commitment to UUCV’s Capital Campaign (CapCam), we say Thank You!
For those who have not yet fulfilled their pledge commitment, please continue to support the CapCam as you are able. We will gratefully accept pledges after December 31, 2021 (the official end date of UUCV’s CapCam). These funds will go a long way towards helping us complete the projects scheduled for spring 2022. If anyone wants to know the status of their CapCam pledge commitment, please email cyagood4@gmail.com
TOGETHER we can do amazing things!
Thank you, Cindy Good (CapCam volunteer pledge tracker)
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Happy New Year from the Auction Committee
As we begin a new year still facing uncertainty, I think we need to continue to have a positive outlook. Let's face it; this COVID stuff is never going to go away. Just like the flu, we keep will keep it in check with vaccinations as needed and get on with our lives. So let's do it! Better days are always ahead and we need to just celebrate in a responsible manner.
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The committee will be working soon on a new "live" event auction to be held in May. We were able to streamline our online auction with great success and hopefully we can do it with a live event as well. There is much for the committee to discuss and review in the coming months and the final result we hope will be a really great auction and a good time for all the attendees.
Being on the committee is not an especially demanding job because we work together as committees should. We are always open, to not only new committee members, but feedback from the congregation as well. It should go without saying that new thoughts and ideas are always welcomed. I will not guarantee that an idea you present to the committee will be used, but I will guarantee that the committee will discuss it.
May the new year bring nothing but kind blessings to you all.
Catherine Dewalt
Auction Chairperson
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January Social Justice Opportunities
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Change for the World
1ST Quarter Jan - Mar 2022
African American Memorial Fund
AAMFund is a nonprofit organization that provides support and financial assistance to African American families, whose unarmed loved ones have been killed by law enforcement. The organization helps in two main ways:
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1. Providing scholarships to assist with the victim's children's education
2. Helping with burial expenses for the family
African Americans are disproportionally being killed by law enforcement at an alarming rate. In 2015, Blacks were approximately 13% of the U.S. population, but in that same year, 36% of all unarmed people people killed by police were Black.
Since 2015, police officers have fatally shot at least 135 unarmed Black men and women nationwide, and an NPR investigation that examined police, court, and other record details, found that at least 75% of the officers were white.
Floyd Stokes, who founded AAMF, is also the Executive Director of the American Literacy Corporation since 2000. You also may remember him as the creator of the SuperReader, who encouraged pre-K and elementary students to read books. |
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UUCV Social Justice Committee
The Social Justice Committee is pleased and grateful to announce that Kim Stone has agreed to chair the committee. Thank you Kim!
Perhaps you don’t know the programs under the umbrella of the Social justice Committees. Our efforts include the monthly CARES dinner, Change for the World, the Mozambique Bursary project, the UUCV Antiracism Initiative, the Project Share Farm Stand volunteers and participation in the Community MLK observations and other community social justice activities. We anchor our efforts around UUCV’s mission to transform lives and care for the world. Thank you to all who serve on the committee and for all the support we receive from the congregation.
UUJustice PA has been our Change for the World (CFTW) for the last quarter of 2021. Thank you to all who have contributed in support of efforts on the state level to support and defend our UU values. RIght now there is a terrific additional opportunity to support UUJusticePA. If UUJustice PA can raise $20,000 by January 7, 2022, a generous donor has pledged to match that with another of $20,000! You can donate online, send a check to UUJusticePA, c/o Unitarian Church of Harrisburg, 1280 Clover Lane Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17113 or make a donation to CFTW. Visit UUJusticePA.org to find out more.
The next meeting of the Social Justice Committee is Wednesday, January 19, 2022 at 6:30 pm on Zoom. https://zoom.us/my/uucvpa
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Antiracism Initiative
The next meeting of the UUCV Antiracism Initiative is Monday, January 3, 2022 at 4 pm on Zoom https://zoom.us/my/uucvpa and all are invited to attend. We will be discussing the Sunday service being planned for MLK Sunday, the ongoing letter to the editor effort to support our values in our schools, and the 8th Principle.
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The 8th Principle is being considered as an addition to the 7 Principles by the UUA. As the UUA moves through the process of adopting the 8th
Principle, individual congregations are moving forward with adopting it, and over 100 congregations have already done so. UUCV’s Board, Antiracism Initiative, Social Justice Committee, and Rev Craig are in the planning stages as to how UUCV will proceed with this process for our congregation. FYI-the 8th Principle reads as follows:
“We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote: journeying toward spiritual wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.”
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UUCV Common Read for 2022
The Antiracism Initiative and the Social Justice Committee invite you to join us in the 2022 UUCV Common Read. The book is Justice on Earth - People of Faith Working at the Intersections of Race, Class, and the Environment edited by Manish Mishra-Marzetti and Jennifer Nordstrom (Skinner House Books, 2018). The book is available at www.uua.org, Amazon, and other online book sellers. Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond their control Whistlestop Bookshop is unable to get this book.
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Here's a description of the book from the UUA website - “At a time when racial justice, environmental justice, and economic justice are seen as issues competing for time, attention, and resources, Justice on Earth explores the ways in which the three are intertwined…The book asks us to recognize that our faith calls us to long-haul work for justice for our human kin, for the Earth and for all life…”
Stay tuned for more information on how you can participate in discussions about the 2022 UUCV Common Read book.
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CARES MEAL -- SUNDAY, JANUARY 23
A BIG thank you to all who have contributed food for the CommunityCARES meals!! 🤩🤩🤩
Email Pam if you are able to donate any of the items still needed.
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The January CARES Holiday Dinner will be a Stew Meal (Beef, Pork or Vegetarian)
Email Pam pam@uucv.net if you want to sign up:
Needed: 3 Large Casseroles of Stew
Needed : 4 or 5 dozen rolls or biscuits & 1 lb of butter
Needed: 2 dozen bananas
Needed : Desserts – 6 dozen cookies or cupcakes
Needed : Drinks – 2 gal of milk, 2 packages of hot chocolate mix,
2 boxes of tea bags, 2 lbs of coffee & filters
Thank you to everyone who donates food items for hot meals this time of year!!
UUCV members are so good at this!!
Drop off your items on Sunday, January 23 to the UUCV Parking lot between 3:00 - 3:30 pm. If you need someone to pick up your item, or if you have any questions, please email Carol Riesmeyer or call 724/822-6423.
If you mark your food containers with your name, Dee Lauderbaugh will pick up your containers and take them to her house for you to pick up at your convenience.
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Saying Goodbye to Emily and 2022 Plans for Sunday RE
As 2021 comes to a close, my time as Director of Lifespan Faith Development also comes to an end. My last Sunday with the congregation will be January 9th. If you are able to attend that Sunday whether in person or on Zoom, I would love to see you.
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We plan to gather outside after service if weather permits. While I may not be able to see your smiling faces under masks and give each of you a big hug, please know that serving this congregation and being a part of your family's journey at UUCV has meant the world to me.
Starting January 16, RE Committee Chair Riley Johnson (with lots of help from the RE committee and volunteers!) will launch in-person RE on Sunday mornings during service. We plan to provide separate nursery care for those 4 and under in the nursery, and one all-ages RE activity for kids age 5 and up in the dining room. These programs will both depend on any further safety restrictions that may impact our ability to meet in person safely.
Kids 5 and up will begin service in the sanctuary with their families, and after the Time for All Ages, move down to the dining room where we will have lots of tables for activities and be able to wear masks and spread out for safety. Caregivers should come downstairs to collect their children as soon as service ends.
Have you been following along with the 8 Principles Project at home? Maybe you have done a few, but fallen behind? No worries: our activities for RE in January and February will follow the structure of this project. If you have already done the project that week at home, your child will be able to share what they have done. Kids will have an opportunity to explore each principle more deeply, while slowly re-connecting with their UUCV peers.
While we are in the process of hiring a new Director of Lifespan Faith Development, volunteer support will be especially crucial. Families who plan to participate in RE should also plan to volunteer on Sundays at least once a month to ensure we have enough volunteers to continue to hold RE sessions on Sundays. If you do not have kids in the program or have not volunteered for RE in the past, this is a great time to give it a go! Email me for information: emilyUUCV@gmail.com.
Stay tuned for more details including safety requirements and schedule. We can't wait to welcome kids back to RE at UUCV!
With Love,
Emily Crutcher
Director of Lifespan Faith Development (until January 9!)
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News from the UUCV Mozambique Bursary Committee |
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It’s not too late to support the UUCV Mozambique Bursary Committee’s 2022 fundraiser. $350 supports one girl for one year.
Donations of any size support Mozambique students, like the girls in the photo below, in their dream of a secondary education.
The Mozambique Bursary Committee sincerely thanks those who have already donated to the project for the 2022 school year. The
forever gift of an education transforms the lives of girls in rural Mozambique and benefits not only the young women, but their families, communities, and nation. Checks payable to the UUCV Mozambique Bursary Project can be mailed to UUCV. You can also use the web link or QR code that are shared during the weekly worship services. Please be aware that if you use Pay Pal, the company will take a percentage of your donation as a service charge. Thank you for your generosity.
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Nursery Volunteers Needed
Put a little fun in your life! Volunteer to spend some time in the UUCV Nursery on Sunday mornings.
By volunteering in the nursery, you will allow the parents of our younger UUCVers to attend services in the sanctuary plus you'll get to know some of our youngest members. Read a story, rock a baby or play some games. Come on down, it'll be fun!
You don't need to take them home :)
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Grocery Card WIN - WIN
From Sonia Pitzi, the coordinator for our region’s Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH) program - “Because of your gracious donations of Giant gift cards, you have assisted families with food and gas. You have assisted teenagers, living on their own, with the freedom to have choices of what to eat, how to contribute to a household nice enough to allow them to stay a night or two, and also to have gas to get to work after school. Sometimes it is hard to see the good your dollars bring when given in the form of gift cards. Well, your donation looks like smiles getting a special treat that was on sale and the parents got to pick just for you for your birthday, gratefulness for being able to buy fresh fruits and vegetables because those are never part of donated items, and a stress free stretch of time because people cared enough about others to donate money for Giant gift cards.
Thank you never seems big enough to express how grateful we are that you have chosen us to receive your hard earned dollars. Yet, know that I say THANK YOU with the biggest hug attached, and I look forward to when I can say THANK YOU in person.”
Small things can make a big difference. Our Win-Win grocery card program provides much needed help to ECYEH clients and UUCV gets a $10 donation for each $100 Giant card purchased.
As the need for our support of ECYEH continues, our Win-Win program will continue in 2022. Here’s how the plan works if you are able to make a donation:
• Please mail donations to Pam Martin at UUCV, PO Box 207, Boiling Springs, PA 17007. Or the can be dropped off to Pam during office hours.
• Donations need to be checks made out to UUCV, and in denominations of $25, $50, $75, or $100.
• Checks should have ECYEH marked in the memo line.
• Donations will be combined toward the purchase of $100 Giant cards as these provide a $10 return to UUCV.
• The grocery cards will then be given to ECYEH.
• Your donation will be recorded on your annual tax statement from UUCV
THANK YOU!
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An Invitation to a New Small Group Ministry Experience
Some of us are interested in forming a Small Group Ministry circle that will meet on or close to each of the eight festivals on the Wheel of the Year |
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Some of us are interested in forming a Small Group Ministry circle that will meet on or close to each of the eight festivals on the Wheel of the Year. The session plans would follow the standard SGM format with lighting the chalice, reading the group’s covenant, a time for check-in, a reading about the festival, several questions to share in a round robin fashion about that festival’s meaning, a time for silent reflection, and extinguishing the chalice.
The timing of meetings would follow this schedule:
Imbolc: February 2nd
Spring Exquinox: March 20th
Beltane: May 1st
Summer Solstice: June 21st
Lammas: August 1st
Fall Equinox: September 22nd
Samhain: October 31st
Winter Solstice: December 21st
The group can decide whether or not to meet on the actual festival date or to standardize the day of the week. We anticipate the sessions for the foreseeable future to be a Zoom or hybrid session to keep us all safe. Leadership of each session would rotate, taking turns providing the readings and questions. When Covid no longer poses a threat, the group can decide where to meet: in each other’s homes, at UUCV or in a location where we could gather around a fire pit. When the festival occurs on a Sunday, this SGM might be involved in planning and leading the UUCV worship service. Perhaps a public community-wide event could be offered for Samhain or one of the Solstices.
If you are interested in participating in such a group, please send an email to Dot Everhart at doteverhart@yahoo.com or call her at 717-991-3539. We might meet via Zoom in January for an organizing session. We expect this group to be comprised of 8-12 UUCV members and friends. If we have a larger group of interested people, we can form multiple groups. Once folks have a chance to express interest, we’ll proceed with an organizing session. Hope you will consider joining us!
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- point your browser to https://zoom.us/my/uucvpa , OR
- “listen in” (without video) by telephone, by calling 646-876-9923 and entering Meeting ID550 751 6685
If you don’t already have Zoom installed on your computer, clicking any Zoom link will prompt you to begin the installation. There is no charge to you for the software or its use.
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Samaritan Fellowship is looking for Saturday morning volunteers from 8:00 - 10:00 am to interview clients applying for assistance.
If you are interested, contact Jack Moscato 717/448-8579.
Samaritan Fellowship is located at the Carlisle United Methodist Church, 333 South Spring Garden Street in Carlisle. |
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UUCV Fundraising Opportunities
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It's Back....SoUUper Bowl Sunday
One of our most popular Fundraising Events is back with a twist. |
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Calling All Soup Chefs!!!
SOUUPER BOWL SUNDAY at UUCV is Sunday, February 27, 2022.
This year, we're changing things up: In order to take advantage of our NEW church kitchen, soup preparation will take place on SATURDAY 2/26/22 in the UUCV kitchen. Starting at 10 AM we'll chop, stir, season and sample 5 soups to sell to hungry UUs. Lunch will be provided for Soup Makers!
If you can donate money for ingredients or help make soup on 2/26 please contact Lynn Michels at lynnisue57@gmail.com or (717)580-6615.
A list of soup selections that will be available for purchase will be sent out soon for you to place your order.
Thank you for helping to make this UUCV fundraiser a SOUUPER success!
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https://smile.amazon.com/
Do you shop on Amazon? Go instead to https://smile.amazon.com/
AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support UUCV every time you shop, at no cost to you. Select Unitarian Universalist of Cumberland Valley as your charitable organization and everytime you make a purchase Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to UUCV. Same great producs, same prices as Amazon, but https://smile.amazon.com/ makes money for UUCV. |
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A Very Happy, Healthy and Safe 2022 to you all! |
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