UUCSC News and Updates
Weekly on Fridays
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Volume III * Issue 38* March 3, 2023 | |
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of South County, RI
All are welcome!
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This Sunday, March 5, 2023 | |
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Worship
In Person and on Zoom 10:00 am
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"Permeable Aliveness"
Rev. Denis Letourneau Paul and Nancy Richman
As we make meaning of our lives and the world around us, we’re required to to be both free and responsible in our search. But how do we do that, when so much in the world — including ourselves — is broken? The answer is all around us, letting in light to see by.
Order of Service
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Religious Exploration
In Person 10am-noon
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The video above is from the Soul Matters curriculum for small groups. It's about a homeless teen who meets a deaf and blind man on a street corner in NYC. It's simple and powerful in its quiet nod to vulnerability.
Vulnerability is the theme for this month. And this Sunday we are going to play with our emotions. Feeling our emotions and being able to talk about them and express them in healthy ways is such a hard skill! We'll practice with some games, stories and coloring.
Here's a sweet book called The Boy with Big Big Feelings and another called The Color Monster about how some of our emotions feel and what color they are.
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Share the Plate Sunday
Half of the plate and designated collections received by check or online
the first week of each month are shared with a worthy local nonprofit.
Friends of the Saugatucket will be the recipient
of Share the Plate for March and April 2023.
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Pledge Campaign Update
HONEYBEES live in a hive where every BEE works for the good of the hive. UU members and friends work for the good of their BEE-LOVED COMMUNITY by contributing their time, talent and treasure. Your valuable volunteer time and skills are needed to sustain UUCSC but so is your treasure. Whether or not you intend to make a pledge for 2023-24, please let the Stewardship committee know what your intentions are so the Finance committee can plan a fiscally responsible budget for the coming year.
Finance hopes that some folks are able to increase their pledges by 5 to 8% so that those of us who not as financially secure can still enjoy the benefits of our UU HIVE. Please BEE SUPPORTIVE! *** We have received 54 pledges for $136, 675.Tthat is nearly 70 % of $200,000 goal.
Submitted by Mary Fulton, Stewardship Chair
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Yesterday two people near me, also waiting for coffee, were talking about former president Jimmy Carter.
“Isn’t he dead yet?” One of them asked. She seemed genuinely surprised. “He went into hospice more than A WEEK ago!”
It had actually been nine days since his family made the announcement through the Carter Center. I remember because it was the same day my father’s best friend entered hospice care in Connecticut. John was buried on Friday, less than a week later.
John’s experience was more typical than President Carter’s. Barely more than half of all people who “die of natural causes” enter hospice care, and the average time in the program is less than three days. People seem to think that the job of hospice is to give the patient a whole lot of morphine to kill them quickly. That’s what John and his family believed, but nothing could be further from the truth.
One summer I served as an intern chaplain in a hospice program, staffed by an incredible team whose only goal was to make the last few months, weeks or days of a patient’s life vibrant and meaningful. Our jobs were not to help a person die so much as to help them thrive during the time they had left. The idea of hospice is to help patients and families focus on quality of life rather than extending life for the sake of the fight.
On Sunday I mentioned my brother-in-law, a death row correctional officer. What I didn’t mention is that a year after retiring, at the age of 43, he was diagnosed with stage four esophageal cancer and “given” six months to live. He didn’t accept the prognosis, and made it his mission to prove the oncologist wrong. He fought as hard as he could, and ignored all of his relationships as he received three different kinds of treatment simultaneously. Six months later, to the day, he entered hospice care, and 36 hours later died. Those last six months were hell for everyone, including him, but especially his teenage children.
He never abandoned his beliefs. He died the way he lived. I give him credit for that. But it was still brutal to witness.
My hope for President Carter and his family is that he benefits from hospice care for as long as his life is comfortable, so that they can all enjoy his presence as long as it lasts.
My hope for myself and all of us is that if we ever find ourselves in his position, we choose to thrive rather than fight a war we can’t win.
In Peace,
Rev Denis
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Reminder about Phishing
A number of congregants report having received texts or emails falsely claiming to be from Rev. Denis and asking for "a favor." Please remember, these emails are from scammers. DO NOT OPEN OR RESPOND TO THEM. Rev. Denis will NEVER contact you to ask you to buy gift cards or send money to him directly.
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Stay in the Loop at UUCSC | |
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Men's Breakfast
Saturday, March 4, 9 am
Rachel’s Café in the Commons
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WOW "Women of Wisdom" Zoom Luncheon
Monday, March 6, 12:30 pm
Prepare your lunch or just a cup of tea and join us on Zoom for some conversation and catch up with friends near and far. WOW meets on the first Monday of the month. Just click on the link above or on the church calendar. Questions? Call Elizabeth at 783-1362.
Submitted by Elizabeth Donovan
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Coordinating Council
Wednesday, March 8, 2023, 4pm on Zoom
Committee chairs and all interested parties will gather on Zoom for the council's bimonthly meeting. Join the meeting here or from the link on the UUCSC calendar.
Submitted by Elizabeth Donovan
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After 50 years of warnings, we are regularly seeing the effects of a changing climate - erratic weather patterns, torrential downpours, droughts, rising tides, gale force winds. The shift in momentum from individual efforts to government and institutional action and from local focus to global focus and now back to local is confusing at least and overwhelming at most.
What can we do? What should we do? Does it really matter?
The UUCSC Social Justice Team brings the focus to our local community this spring with a six-week Zoom series. Each one-hour session is designed to help you understand, act, and cope with reality. There are actions that all of us can take to care for the changing earth and ourselves while honoring the interdependent web of all existence. More details to come.
Mark your calendars! Wednesday, March 22 through Tuesdays March 28 to April 25, 2023. All sessions will be held at 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
Submitted by Cathy Solomon, Social Justice Chair
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Social Justice Team Update
The UUCSC Social Justice Team continues
on many fronts to
Learn, Educate and Advocate
READ HERE about
- Joining with other South County Faith groups and organizations to collaborate and support each other.
- Local Environmental Action
- Antiracism Group
- UU Legislative Ministry
- Women's Reproductive Health
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New to UU or UUCSC?
If you have started attending — or even joined — sometime since the beginning of the pandemic, we have three upcoming events to which you are specifically invited.
March 12, after the service: Newcomers Lunch
April 2, after the service: New to UU class, with lunch and a brief overview of theology, polity and liturgy
May 7, during the service: New Member recognition ceremony followed by cake and coffee on the patio
All events are open to everyone. Contact Rev Denis or Val Follett if you’d like to attend.
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Upcoming Sunday Services
Mar. 12 Lift Every Voice Rev. Denis
Mar. 19 TBA Tammy Brown
Mar. 26 Why Does Courage Matter Right Now? Pam Steager
April 2 Isn't This The Time? Rev. Denis and Sky Kimball
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UUA General Assembly 2023 | |
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Rethinking Our Unitarian Universalist Principles...
Read more about the process of change HERE, including the January 2023 Article II Report to the UUA Board.
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Current Community Connections | |
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Together Women Rise - POTLUCK
TUESDAY - March 7,2023 - 6 PM
Carolyn Gilligan's Home
13 Hathaway Lane
Peace Dale, RI 02879
All are welcome. More details HERE.
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Author Mari Nardolillo-Dias at Kingston Free Library
Wednesday, March 22 at 6 PM
Mari is a RI author and has written two volumes of short essays on the
subject of grief, both death-related and non-death related, called GriefSpeak- Stories of Loss Vol 1 and 2. She is a grief therapist and a death doula, dedicating most of her life to working with loss. She’s a nationally board-certified counselor, holds a Fellow in Thanatology and is
certified in both grief counselling and complicated grief. Additionally, Mari is a Professor of Clinical Mental Health at Johnson & Wales University and the director of GracePoint Grief Center in North Kingstown. To register, please contact Britta at bobertello@skpl.org or 783-8254 ext. 4303.
Submitted by Mary Fulton
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Mask Requirement
At the board meeting on February 15 the Board of Directors voted unanimously (with one member absent) to go “Mask Optional” on Sunday mornings starting April 1.
The Board encourages everyone to wear masks if they are able to. Please reach out to anyone on the board if you have questions.
Board of Directors 2023-24
The Board and the Nominating Committee want all UUCSC members to know that there will be two positions open for the upcoming year which starts on July 1. The positions are President and Treasurer. If you are interested, please contact a member of the Nominating Committee to see if you are a good fit for either position. Serving on the Board is a truly meaningful way to contribute to this community.
BOARD MINUTES - FEBRUARY
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Time to Think about D4$+ 2023
Our last Dining4Dollars+ fundraiser was a great success. Let’s do it again!!
It’s time to start thinking about what wonderful meals and/or services YOU would like to offer to help raise money for our beloved UUCSC – and have lots of fun doing it! Watch for information in upcoming newsletters about how YOU can participate as an event host.
Submitted by Trish Hindley and Betsy Dalton, D4$+ co-coordinators
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Sounds of Harmony March 5th, 3:30 to 5
The Sounds of Harmony Gong Meditation program facilitates relaxation and rejuvenation through sound vibrations of gongs, crystal bowls, and assorted resonant instruments enhancing a meditative state.
The suggested cost is $25. Masks are optional at this event. (Storm date 3/12)
Registration and a payment link is through our website or tickets are available at the door or by calling Kevin at 401-339-0840.
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"Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America"
Free Screening and Discussion, Sunday March 12.
movie 4-6pm, food and discussion: 6-7:30pm
Register through eventbrite . Read more about the film and the Who We Are Project here, see the poster for more information.
Submitted by Johnette Rodriguez
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Support Indigenous Rights
Read more about the struggle for Indigenous People's rights, and consider sending this letter to the White House.
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Care and Concern
Ron Marcy has moved to Brookdale, Room 11-B, 1959 Kingstown Rd, South Kingstown, RI 02879. He welcomes cards and short visits. Please call before visiting, 515-7418. The general phone number for Brookdale is 789-4880.
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This war rages on...
The UUCSC Share the Plate committee recommends one of these four organizations that are providing support to Ukrainians in crisis.
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Bethany Sorrentino, Helping Hands Coordinator
Don't be afraid to ask for help - helping hands are here!
Helping hand volunteers are also needed.
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List of Black owned businesses from RI Monthly magazine. Patronize these businesses all year long. This small effort can help undo racism. Please send pics and reviews to Etta for sharing here and on website.
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How to Submit Info to This Newsletter | |
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Send announcements and news with Newsletter Item in the subject line to Sara Kaplow, Congregational Administrator, at uucscri@gmail.com and Etta Zasloff, Editor, at zasloff.etta@gmail.com by Tuesday Noon
to assure publication by Friday of that week.
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