Happy Holly Day

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens
November 2013
Staff
Reverend Alison Eskildsen
Minister
706-424-9449 (c)
rev.eskildsen@uuathensga.org
Reverend Dr. Don Randall
Community Minister
706-353-0709
drrandall5@gmail.com
Happy Holly Day
Donation Deadline is
November 15!
No tricks, just treats will await you and
those attending this year's goods and services auction Saturday, December 7!
Amber Fetner
Music Director
musicdirector@uuathensga.org
Please consider contributing a good(s) or
service(s). It‘s fun, easy and supports the
work and fellowship of UUFA.
Shaye Gambrell
Congregational Administrator
uufa@uuathensga.org
How can I contribute?
Morgan Watson
Director of Religious Education
dre@uuathensga.org
Robert Hjelmstad, Pianist
rhjelmstad@gmail.com
Angela Brown, Bookkeeper
bookkeeper@uuathensga.org
Lay Ministers
Patty Freeman-Lynde,
Fellowship@
Michelle Leebens-Mack,
Connections@
Nancy MacNair, Justice@
Jane Mayer, Stewardship@
Aleta Turner, Education@
Myrna Adams West,
SpiritualArts@
All emails are @uuathensga.org
Inside
Board Meeting Summary ~ 7
Music Notes ~ 4
On Sundays ~ 2
Minister/s Message ~ 8
Just make a donation of either a good or a
service or both! Suggestions included but
are not limited to: something homemade-jellies, salsa, pickles, your favorite cake or
candy, wine, beer, hummus, pesto, cheesecake, pizza, key lime pie, homegrown vegetables (from a current or future garden),
plants; a dinner or other gathering (brunch,
tea party) at your house, at the Fellowship,
or some other exotic location--thematic
(around a holiday or cuisine) or not; something created/crafted/knit/ crocheted--wall
hanging, pottery, artwork, jewelry, scarf,
afghan, mittens, sweater; lessons of any
kind--music, martial arts, guitar, piano; services of any kind--chauffeuring, babysitting,
gardening, income tax services, pet sitting, car
cleaning.
When is the deadline to donate? Please remember that the last day for donating both goods and
services is November 15.
How can I donate?
To donate, fill out a form located on the auction
table as you enter the sanctuary or visit UUFA‘s
website and click on Happy Holly Days in the
Events Section under ―Events, News...‖
http://uuathensga.org/eventsarchive/holidayauction
For further information, contact Karen Solheim
(secretary@uuathensga.org).
Christmas Angel Project
UUFA will again participate in the Athens-Clarke County Department of Family and Children's Services gift program for needy children. Each holiday season many children in foster
care receive very few gifts, if any, gifts over the holidays. UUFA has successfully participated
in this program for over 20 years thanks to the generosity of many members and friends.
Please contact Wilma Harrington (wilma30607@comcast.net) by November 15 if you wish to participate in the program this year. Please
note that a specific age child(ren) cannot be specified. When you sign
up, you will receive the name, age, gender and wish lists of the children.
The deadline to deliver gifts to UUFA is Sunday, December 8. Please
make sure the nametag you are given for your child is clearly affixed to
the gift bag. Contact Wilma or Rev. Alison if you have any questions or
concerns.
PAGE 2
T A PE STRY
On Sundays
Fall Clean–Up Day
A hard-working group of UUFA members gathered on Saturday, October 19,
to work in the building and on the
grounds. They spruced up the drive and
parking areas and cut down and cleared
out several small trees, so that the
UUFA sign is now visible from Timothy Road!
cleaned tables and spot cleaned the
floor in the fellowship hall. In the sanctuary, folks cleaned the upholstery on
the pews and dusted all around. The
overgrown herb garden was weeded.
Repairs to the coffee table and tidying
up in the couch room and the building
foyer rounded out the day‘s activities.
Working in the kitchen, they organized
the large food storage area for Our
Daily Bread supplies, cleaned and
sorted out the rest of the kitchen,
A lot of work was completed that day,
and we especially want to express our
appreciation to Herb and Myrna West,
Debby Perry, Aleta Turner, Merridy
and Ken McDaniel, Wilma Harrington,
Alison Eskildsen, Ian Leebens-Mack
and Michelle Leebens-Mack, Annette
Bergins, Terry Jones, Carol-Lee Baker,
Connie Bruce, Steven Brown, and Gary
Rinker. If you contributed, but have
been left off this list, please know that
your work was appreciated.
On Sundays ~ Worship 9 & 11:30 am
Theme for this month is Humility
November 3 – Diwali: Festival of
Lights: Explore the Hindu holiday that
celebrates inner light, life and its goodness, with special guest Rahasya, the
Despy Karlas guest musicians for both
services.
November 10 – Rev. Don Randall will
speak. The Chalice Choir will sing for
both services.
November 17 – To Walk Humbly: Can
we walk closer to the high ideal of humility? A small group will sing.
telling or brief conversation. Then children
and teachers are recessed from the sanctuary by congregational singing.
November 24 – Unitarian Universalism
in Uganda: Our special guest, the Rev.
Mark Kiyamba, will share news and
views of his ministry in Uganda. We
invite you to bring a bread of your
culture for sharing. The Chalice Choir
will sing at 9am; a quartet will sing at
11:30. Palms of Fire will also play.
Children and teachers go to their classrooms or to a special children‘s worship in
the Fellowship Hall. Parents are welcome
to accompany their children if they wish.
Worship begins with everyone in the sanctuary for the first 20 minutes or so. Typically
we share a welcome, light our congregational
chalice, sing a hymn, and experience a story-
For more on UUFA‘s worship services,
visit the Spiritual Arts page at www.
uuathensga.org.
Remaining adults hear a sermon, special
music, sing, meditate or pray, and share
brief joys and sorrows within the community. Some Sundays all ages remain in the
sanctuary for the entire service.
On Sundays
Forums 10:30 am
The Forum is an adult lecture and talkback featuring a vast array of topics. Previous Forum topics include SPLOST
Issues, Global Climate Change, Our UU
Transylvania Heritage, Happiness, Creativity, and more.
November 3 – Athens-Clarke County
Mayor Nancy Denson
November 10 – Lacy M. Camp, M.Ed,
Executive Director, The Samaritan
Center for Counseling and Wellness
Elections Supervisor – 2014 Voting Precinct Plan for Athens-Clarke County
November 17 – Gail Schrader, ACC
November 24 – Rev. Mark Kiyimba
with a Q&A on Justice Issues in Uganda.
For more information on these topics,
including articles and research from the
speakers, go to http://uuathensga.org/
education/forum/upcoming-forums
The previously scheduled talk by Larry
Dendy on his new book, Through the
Arch: An Illustrated Guide to the University of Georgia Campus, has been
postponed until a later date.
T AP ESTR Y
PAGE 3
Justice
Habitat for Humanity Work Day & Spirit Speak Out
The Social Action Committee arranged a
UUFA build day with the Athens Area
Habitat For Humanity on Saturday, October 5. At a new Habitat home on Carter
Street Merridy McDaniel, Kerstin Martin
DelCampo, Mark Daniel and Julie Vesper
Sapp worked as painters, while Patty and
Ray Freeman-Lynde hung interior doors.
Across town, Hank Raichle and Chris
Hayes worked on another
painting crew. A well-earned
and well-received lunch was
provided by Vivian Sellers,
Cara Andrews, Barbara and
Lilyth Kiewel, Dee Bocher,
and Julie Vesper Sapp.
It was a beautiful day of good
weather, good company and
good works, supporting in our
local community the Habitat vision of "a
world where everyone has a decent place
to live."
Spirit Day Speak Out Day, cosponsored by the Social Action Committee, was a success.
SAC member Cory Taylor represented
the UUFA SAC, and $173 was raised for
the Clarke Central Alliance, a group for
Fellowship
Progressive Dinner December 14
Our annual moveable feast to celebrate
the holiday season will be held on December 14, beginning at 6 p.m. with
appetizers at the home of Jim and
Susan Ponsoldt. The main courses will
be hosted by Cathi Doherty, Elizabeth
Bishop-Martin, and Clela and Lee
Reed, with a dessert course following
at the home of Kay and Stu Fors.
dinner is $5.00/person. You must signup to bring one dish to one home. For
Sign up now for UUFA’s Annual
Holiday Progressive Dinner
The cost of attending the progressive
Thursday, October 17, millions of
Americans wore purple on Spirit Day
as a sign of support for lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender (LGB T)
youth and to speak out against bullying.
Spirit Day was started in 2010 by teenager
Brittany McMillan who wanted to remember young people who lost their lives to
suicide and to take a stand against bullying.
example, if you sign up to bring a salad
to the main course at the home of
Cathy Doherty, that is where you will
eat your main course. Those who sign
up to bring an appetizer or a dessert,
you will be assigned to one of the four
main course homes.
Sign-up on the poster in the Fellowship
Hall. Please remember that this is a
BYOB event.
Please contact Kay Fors with any questions or concerns. (ksfors@charter.net,
706-549-0185).
Stewardship
ATTN: Kroger Shoppers – New Way to Donate
Join the new Kroger Community Rewards
program and donate to UUFA each time
you use your Kroger Plus card. Kroger no
longer offers grocery cards as a non-profit
fundraising option, but now offers Kroger
Community Rewards, linked through the
Kroger Plus card. It‘s easy – everyone who
uses a Plus card can participate.
Register online here and select UNITAR-
IAN UNIVERSALIST - ATHENS‖ to receive community rewards. Or stop by the
Grocery Card Table in the UUFA foyer on
Sundays for step-by-step instructions.
UUFA receives quarterly donations based on
the shopping reward points accumulated by
our registered members. You still earn your
Kroger gas discounts while earning rewards
for UUFA too.
We will continue to sell grocery gift cards
in inventory through November and December while they last.
The gift cards do not expire. Cards for
Kroger, EarthFare and Publix will be for
sale in the lobby on 1st, 2nd and 3rd Sundays through December.
TAPESTRY
Spiritual Arts
Music Notes
This month, the choir is preparing for the
Winter Solstice service on Saturday, December 21st at 5pm. This will be a special evening service led by the Chalice Choir and
members of UUFA's Pagan community.
Mark your calendar!
We always welcome new members to choir,
which meets Wednesdays, 7:15-9:30 and the
drum circle, Palms of Fire, which meets
Wednesdays, 5:30-6:30. Contact Amber if
you have questions or are planning to come.
musicdirector@uuathensga.org
New! We have a new recorder group starting
up. If you can play recorder at an intermediate level, and would be interested in playing
holiday music, contact Amber. The group is
currently meeting Wednesdays at 6:30. musicdirector@uuathensga.org
Music Director Sabbatical Update: After
over a year of planning, my sabbatical is
drawing near. I will be away from UUFA,
starting this January 2014 and return in August.
What will I be doing? During the first two
months of my sabbatical, I will be working on
my portfolio for the UUA Music Leadership
Credentialing Program. I hope to finish all of
my work and have it approved by the Music
Leadership Credentialing Committee by the
end of February so I can be recognized at the
2014 General Assembly in June.
I also plan to visit
other faith communities, both UU and non
UU, and meet with
other music leaders to
see what other congregations are doing.
Part of my time will
also be spent renewing my own spiritual practices and finding ways to maintain these when
I return to UUFA. I am also looking forward
to musical collaborations and learning, time
with my family, and travel.
Fellowship
Family Dinner Group
The UUFA Family Dinner Group is a
group of parents who get together for
dinner. Sometimes with childcare provided at UUFA or together as families.
Newcomers are always welcomed.
In November, the FDG will have a parents-only dinner at Chops and Hops in
Watkinsville on Saturday, November
9 at 5 p.m.
Lee and Karen Cornell will provide
childcare, free of
charge. Please provide $3/child for
dinner.
Drop-off begins at
UUFA at 4:30; children must be picked
up by 7:30.
PAGE 4
Who will run the music program? I am
excited about the sabbatical period for the
congregation; it will provide opportunities
for our musicians to work with other music leaders and teachers. J.D. Burnett will
lead the Chalice Choir during the sabbatical period. He is the Associate Director of
Choral Activities at the University of
Georgia. Darren "Red" McMonigle, Ryan
"Manito" Wendel, and Jackie Pierson will
take turns leading the Palms of Fire drum
circle. Hilda Kurtz will facilitate communication for the drum circle members and
leaders. Herb West and Diana Torell will
coordinate Sunday worship music. Sarah
Cook will facilitate music for the children's worship services. Our bands, guest
musicians, and other musical activities
will continue to enhance worship and ministry at UUFA.
Members of the sabbatical committee are:
Larry Dendy, Sarah Cook, Hilda Kurtz,
and Diana Torell. They helped plan for the
sabbatical and will help ensure that everything runs smoothly throughout this period. If you have questions, please contact
me (musicdirector@uuathensga.org).
New UU
Are you new to UUFA or Unitarian Universalism? Consider attending the next session of UUFA‘s
Newcomer Orientation — New
UU on Saturday, November 16
from 9 am to noon.
Speak with the Sunday volunteer
serving at the Visitor Information
table in the foyer for more information and to sign up. Or email
Larry Dendy, Membership Chair,
ldendy@uga.edu.
Justice
Green Sanctuary News
The Green Sanctuary Committee is making
progress on our goals. You may have noticed
the new compost bin located next to the garbage and recycling bins. This was donated by
Annette Bergins. Thank you, Annette!
move some of the invasive plants from our
property and to plant some native plants
which will provide food and shelter for
animals and birds.
Melanie Hennings is working on ways to use
it. Also, we are beginning the hands-on work
on our Wildlife Habitat. We will be scheduling several work days over the winter to re-
Some of the plants we would like to add
are trumpet creeper, crossvine and coral
honeysuckle (NOT Japanese honeysuckle).
If you have some of these and could donate some, please contact Jackie Pierson.
We could also use a mason bee house, if
someone has one to donate.
We are in the process of scheduling some
work days for November and December,
and hope some of you can help us.
Our November meeting will be Monday,
Nov. 11 at 6:30 pm at UUFA. For more
information, please contact Terry Jones at
wolpers4@aol.com or 706-549-9643.
TAPESTRY
PAGE 5
Education
Children & Youth Religious Education Lessons
Children's Worship Service, Sunday
November 3 On the first Sunday of
each month, children & youth dismiss
from the Sanctuary to the Fellowship
Hall for an all-ages worship service.
With this month‘s theme of
―Gratitude,‖ kids will learn the song
―We Give Thanks‖ and do activities
related to the theme. Parents are welcomed to stay for CWS or attend the
service in the Sanctuary. Please visit
http://uuathensga.org/education/
religious-education for direct links to
curricula for the lessons this month.
10:15-11:15 ~ YRUU High School youth
group meets in the Ocean Rm; JrUU middle school youth group meets in the
Couch Rm for a lesson on Hinduism from
their Building Bridges curriculum.
November 10 Children begin in the
sanctuary and dismiss to their religious
education classes:
9am ~ Discoverers: One Person Can
Make a Difference
9am ~ All-ages class. Discoverers
(Ocean Rm): The More We Get Together
11:30am ~ Chalice Children (Forest Rm):
Our Good Wishes Can Come True; Rainbows (Rainbow Rm): Our Words Matter;
Seekers (Ocean Rm): The More We Get
Together
November 17 Children begin in the sanctuary and dismiss to their religious education classes as follows:
10:15-11:15 ~ YRUU High School youth
group meets in the Ocean Rm; JrUU middle school youth group meets in the
Couch Rm for a follow up lesson on Hin-
duism from their Building Bridges curriculum and a debrief of their visit to the
Hindu mandir.
11:30am ~ Chalice Children: Native
Americans Have Taught Us Many
Things; Rainbows: Hear Our Voices;
Seekers: One Person Can Make a Difference
November 24, 9 & 11:30am ~
Ages Thanksgiving Service
All-
Children's Charity At each Children‘s
Worship Service, children ―sail the ark,‖
to gather the offering for our Children‘s
Charity, this year—Food2Kids. Each
month, a different food item is requested
(juice boxes for November). Children
give a cash offering and/or bring the
requested item; they may also donated in
their classrooms. Please help your children donate generously.
Justice
Social Action Committee
Join the Social Action Committee
The UUFA Social Action Committee
(SAC) regularly meets on the first Sunday of each month, beginning at 12:30
pm in a meeting room at the Fellowship, often in the Sofa Room (in the
Admin wing). YOU are invited to attend this meeting to learn about how
they make a difference in our world,
locally and globally.
Join the UUFA SAC email group
If you would like to know what transpires in the UUFA SAC, join our Social Action Committee listserv by going to http://uuathensga.org/ justice/social-action-committee. By
joining the listserv you will learn of
social action activities not only in
UUFA, but also in the local Athens
area in terms of social action. Everyone
is encouraged to sign up!
Cause of the Month The Partner
Church Committee, sponsors of
the October Fourth Sunday Lunch, was
delighted with the turnout for our annual Hungarian-style meal. The event
raised almost $400 for the Fellowship!
Over the entire month of October, thanks
to the generous contributions from
UUFA members and friends, we have
exceeded our goal to provide stipends to
five Okland high school students and
will send those over soon in time for
their second school term! Thanks to all
who contributed!
The Cause of the Month for November
is the Athens Area Emergency Food
Bank.
On Sunday, November 3, a pulpit commentary will be given about this cause,
and additional time, talent, and treasure
information about this cause will be
available throughout the month in the
order of service and the weekly announcements.
IF you have any suggestions about what
you would like to see as a UUFA SAC
Cause of the Month, please contact David Jarrett.
CANtributions to the ATHENS
AREA EMERGENCY FOOD BANK
UUFA ―CANtributes‖ to the Athens
Area Emergency Food Bank and is in
competition with 25 other area
churches! After eight months of 2013
competition among the twenty-five area
churches CANtributing to the Athens
Area Emergency Food Bank, UUFA is
in SECOND place! With our total
CANtributions of 3409 items, we are
only 168 items out of first place; however, the church in third place with
2253 items has a huge November can
drive! Please donate generously: tuna,
saltines, pork and beans, and green peas
are always needed.
Share the Plate
Overall, from July through October
2013, UUFA has seen a net increase of
$26.68 in offering income while the
Cause of the Month program has seen a
net increase of $1,337.84 compared
with the same period of time in 2012.
Remember only non-designated funds
are shared between the Cause of the
Month and UUFA. Any designated
money--such as your pledge--is not
shared.
TAPESTRY
PAGE 6
Spiritual Arts
Goddess Group & Writing as Spiritual Practice
Illona Stewart will lead a card-making
workshop at the November 17 gathering
of the Goddess Group. At this workshop,
participants are invited to make cards for
women who have been role models or
have provided inspiration and support in
their lives. Some materials will be provided, but card-making supplies of all
shapes and sizes are appropriate, including card stock, magazines, glue, glitter,
colored pens and markers, stickers, etc.
The Annual Tea with the Goddess is
scheduled for December 15 at Myrna‘s
home. A sign-up for reservations for the
Tea will be available at the November
meeting, or you may contact Myrna directly.
Beginning January 9, 2014, and running
every third Sunday through May 18,
2014, the Goddess Group will offer
Cakes for the Queen of Heaven: In Ancient Times, a five-session religious education curriculum in feminist thealogy.
All women in the Fellowship and surrounding community may sign up for this
enlightening course by contacting Myrna.
The Goddess Group meets each third
Sunday. All sessions are open to women
of UUFA and the greater community. If
you have questions, please call, email, or
speak to Myrna (770/725-5397; myrnaaw@bellsouth.net) or Aleta (706/7146417; aletamosquito@gmail.com) or one
of the facilitators listed above.
Writing as Spiritual Practice
―Humility‖ is the theme for Writing as
Spiritual Practice in November. Everyone is invited to join this group facilitated by Lay Minister Myrna Adams
West as they explore spirituality through
Here are some questions to guide your
writing for this session: Is humility
one of your virtues or a virtue that you
would like to cultivate? What makes
you feel humble? Write about a time
when you saw someone demonstrate
humility. Write about a time when you
wish you had acted with humility.
The dictionary suggests that the opposite of humility is arrogance. Is that
always true? Tell a story about someone who is arrogant and therefore a
counterpoint to humility.
For a copy of an inspirational piece by
David S. Blanchard or to learn more
about this Stepping Stone, please contact Myrna (myrnaaw@bellsouth.net).
Halloween Carnival Success!
Education
Children & Youth Religious Education
Mountain Cons Join UU kids from
Youth Trip The high school and mid-
all over the southeast for fun and fellowship in a beautiful, mountain-top setting.
Dates are: Elementary (ages 8-11)Nov.
15-17; Middle School, Nov. 22-24; High
School, Dec. 6-8. Cost is $100 for the
weekend, but limited scholarships are
available. through UUFA by contacting
Morgan. For more info and to register,
click here. Want a free trip to the Mountain? Contact Morgan to register as a
chaperone to one of our youth CONs!
dle school youth groups will visit the Shri
Swaminarayan Mandir, the Hindu house
of worship in Lilburn on Saturday, November 16, as part of their study of Hinduism this month. We will leave from
UUFA at 8:30 am to arrive at the temple
in time for a tour and an aarti worship
ceremony. Others are welcome to join us!
Please contact Morgan if you wish to attend. For more info, visit http://
atlanta.baps.org
Spiritual Arts
Many thanks to these volunteers: Shannon
Bowles; Deb Brenner & John Olive; Diane
Border, Mark & Sarah-Marie Goodkin;
Samantha Carroll, Lynn Rinker; Cristy
Catlin; Karen & Lee Cornell; Ashley Curtis; Casey Emory; Meredyth Fleisher; Patty
Freeman-Lynde; Danny Fullerton; Nadia
Hassan; Fabiana & Chris Hayden; Ange
Kahn; Jenny Kay-Williams; Deborah Keys;
Hilda Kurtz & Rich Rayburn; Kerstin Martin del Campo; Mindy, Connor, & Irelend
McCage; Dawn McFarlin & Megan
Nowak; Chilton, Laura, Alex, and Lizzy
Ng; Vivian Sellers; Cory Taylor; Kip &
Sherri Tanner; Shaun Totter; Aleta Turner;
Kate & Emma Van Cantfort; Liz Weaver;
Karen & Annie Witzler.
Two Services Discussion
Worship Arts & Shared Ministry
Want to share your thoughts about worship at UUFA? Your thoughts about
worship at UUFA are valued. Please
share them at the next meeting of the
Worship Arts Committee on Tuesday,
November 5 at 6:30 p.m. or with any
worship assistant.
writing. On November 3 at 10:15 am
in the sofa room, we will share insights on this deep subject of humility.
In addition, you can share your
thoughts by filling out a reflection form
from the sanctuary entry table, or go to
http://goo.gl/N0aEf8 Completed forms
can be returned to the sanctuary entry
table.
The Committee on Shared Ministry is
honored to invite all congregants to
"talks" about the new opportunity of
having two services. We'd like to meet
in the Sanctuary at 10:15 and at 12:45
for exchanges of opinions about this
"road taken" to fulfill our potential for
growth... The Committee on Shared
Ministry: Marco Messori, Stu Fors,
Caryl Sunland, Mindy McCage, Susie
Weller and Casey Savage
TAPESTRY
Board of Trustees
Get on Board!
• Sharing the Plate initiative
—Received and discussed the following
oral report:
At its October 8 meeting, among the things
your UUFA Board of Trustees accomplished:
• UUFA Volunteer Leaders Covenant
—Adopted Rev. Alison Eskildsen‘s Board
Composite Evaluation
• that each board member be requested
to solicit five new donations for the
Happy Holly Day Goods and Services
Auction.
—Received and discussed when necessary
the following written reports:
• Goods and Services Auction aka
Happy Holly Day
UUFA Board of Trustees
meets each month.
All are welcomed.
• that the revised Board Covenant be
adopted
• the adopted minutes from the September 10 Board of Trustees meeting,
available online and on the bulletin
board in the Fellowship Hall.
The next meeting of your Board of Trustees
will be Monday, November 18, from 7-9
p.m. You are welcome to attend, and/or
please share any feedback you have with
any board member.
Are YoUU a Second Looker?
We are interested and interesting older
members of the Fellowship who gather
once a month on the second Tuesday,
at noon, to catch up with each other
over brown bag lunches and coffee
followed by a program of interest to
members.
November Fourth
Sunday Luncheon
• that a PayPal account be established.
Fellowship
Could you be a Second Looker?
UUFA Second Lookers are men and
women who have retired from jobs, but
most certainly, not from life.
PAGE 7
Come check us out. Newcomers are
always welcome!
Penny Oldfather will meet with Second
Lookers at noon on Tuesday, Nov. 12.
UUFA Second Lookers are men and
women who have retired from jobs,
but most certainly, not from life.
The 4th Sunday lunch will be held on
November 24th, just a few days before
Thanksgiving. In honor of that day of
feasting, the main course for the Sunday
meal will be chili, with and without meat.
If you have a special chili recipe that you
would like to share with us, please contact Kay Fors (ksfors@charter.net). If you
would like to help with a salad or dessert,
please contact either Kay Fors or Julie
Sapp (jvsapp@yahoo.com).
She will tell us about the Intergenerational Road Scholar Harry Potter trip
she took with her grandson to Oxford,
England.
The tour included a day trip led by a
historian on the river where Lewis Carroll first made up the Alice in Wonderland story, and experiences of other
―Magical Oxford‖ writers, such as C. S.
Lewis and Tolkien.
See the website for the tour: http://
www.roadscholar.org/n/program/
summary.aspx?dID=1-6JZJRF Bring a
brown bag lunch. Coffee and dessert
will be provided.
Justice
UUA Common Read & Ethical Eating Committee
The UUA 2013-14 Common Read is Behind the Kitchen Door. This book will be
discussed throughout the month of February
at UUFA, especially on Sunday, February
23, during, before, and after the Fourth
Sunday Ethical Eating lunch sponsored by
the UUFA Ethical Eating Committee, the
Social Action Committee, and the Green
Sanctuary Committees. For more on the
book, go to http://www.uua.org/re/
multigenerational/read/
The Ethical Eating Committee is focused
on the moral issues of our time: environmental justice, global hunger and malnutrition, domestic food security, labor issues,
animal rights and human responsibility,
climate change and environmental degrada-
tion and trade and neocolonialism. Or, to put
it simply - food. Next meeting is Sunday,
Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. All are welcomed. Meanwhile, here are some things you can do: eat
low on the food chain, buy in bulk and buy
local or buy Fair Trade.
For further information, contact Aleta Turner
(education@uuathensga.org).
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens
780 Timothy Road, Athens, Georgia 30606
706-546-7914, uufa@uuathensga.org
www.uuathensga.org
Office Hours
Monday through Friday, 10 am ~ 4 pm
Other times by appointment.
To share news, email infoshare@uuathensga.org
For pastoral care concerns, contact Susan Ponsoldt,
CARE Program Coordinator, at 706-548-4821.
A beacon of liberal religion and spirituality in
Northeast Georgia
We invite you to experience this caring community and discover how you
might find meaning in this religiously free and open Fellowship.
Tapestry is experiencing a makeover. Please let us know what
works and what doesn’t.
Our thanks and deep gratitude to
Susan Curtis for her years of
professional service to Tapestry.
The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens, or UUFA, includes people of
all ages and backgrounds who hold many beliefs. UUFA’s mission, or purpose, is to care for one another while acting on the shared principles of Unitarian Universalism. Join the many members and friends of UUFA who explore what is of ultimate worth, seek personal truth and meaning, and live
out UU values in the community and beyond.
Unitarian Universalism is a historic religion with roots in the radical Protestant Reformation. Over the centuries it has welcomed new ideas, embraced
diverse beliefs, and become an inclusive spiritual tradition. Please explore this
website and discover the Fellowship’s rich heritage and future promise.
Wondering with AWE
Rev. Alison Wilbur Eskildsen
As the Fellowship continues to grow in
size and complexity it becomes an evergreater challenge for us to feel we know
what‘s going on. When the Fellowship
was more like an extended family, it was
easier to know what was happening—and
there was usually less happening! But
with a larger program-size congregation
there‘s a lot to keep track of. To further
challenge you, we‘ve expanded to two
worship services this year. You might
miss someone who is attending a different service. To help you meet up, we
have coffee and tea available all morning.
I want us to feel connected, even if we
don‘t know everyone. For some of us,
this means participating in a Small Group
Ministry because it helps you get to
know a smaller number of people on a
deeper level than you might just chatting
over coffee or tea. For others, it might
mean offering to lend a hand in some
small way that makes a difference in the
life of the congregation. For others, it
may mean attending various social justice or just social activities, like the
Swing Dance or Auction, even if you
don‘t dance or can‘t bid on an item. For
many, it might mean paying attention to
the many ways we communicate.
Through the new UUFA website, weekly
emails, Sunday announcements, monthly
newsletters, Facebook, and even
word-of-mouth, we
try to keep you informed. We know
it‘s important to
communicate activities and information
in a timely manner.
It‘s equally important
to pay attention to what is communicated. And that‘s a challenge. There‘s so
much communication ‗noise‘ in the
world that we tune out some of it just to
avoid being overwhelmed.
If you find keeping up with events and
activities difficult, the new website might
suit your needs. Spend some free time
surfing the various pages to see the
wealth of information there. Under the
‗Spiritual Arts‘ menu you can find a
sermon you might have missed or want
to use for a Small Group. Forum information is the first sub-page under the
‗Education‘ menu. To retrieve an old
Tapestry newsletter go to the ‗Events,
News…‘ menu. While there you can
check out the UUFA calendar or other
activities in Athens that involve members of the Fellowship. You can offer
something for bidding at the Holiday
Auction by looking at the ‗Stewardship‘
menu and clicking on the ‗Fun Fundraising‘ page. And don‘t forget to check out
the entire Homepage—special photos
await you when you scroll down.
There is a lot more on the new website
for you to discover. Our previous website was ably managed and updated by
one terrific webmaster, Casey Gordon.
Now there are many web-savvy people
entering the latest information in the
very moment it becomes available. Visit
uuathensga.org soon!
Blessings, Rev. Alison