Wednesday, November 30, 2016

HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS at 1stUUPB

Children and Youth will join us for our 3rd annual Confection Connection.  

Our Minister will bake cookies with our children and youth-with help from Jennifer Hommel.  Other adult bakers are welcome! We will meet at the church at noon, have lunch together, then get baking!  Families are free to drop off children and youth and take some time for themselves.   
Saturday, December 10, 2016  Drop off noon/Pick up at 3 Ministers Hall     
Our annual Holiday Sing-A-Long is for everyone.  Bruce Holden will lead us in carols and traditional holiday music. Thursday, December 15, 2017, 6:30pm, Sanctuary                                                                                                      
Join us for our annual Winter Solstice Service.  The service will be lead by the Palm Beach Pagans. They led the service last year, and this one will be a service of hope for returning light.  The music and spoken word make this service a traditional celebration.  Sunday, December 18, 2016, 10:30am  Sanctuary
This event is for everyone and will be hosted by our Religious Education Committee.  Join us for stories of Hanukkah, food, games, and dreidel making.  Feel free to bring your favorite Hanukkah dish! Thursday December 22, 2016, 6:30pm, Ministers Hall
Our Christmas Eve candlelight service will be on Saturday December 24, 2016 at 6:30 pm in the Sanctuary.  Join us for a special music program, story, and candlelight.

Join us on Christmas morning for our Sunday Service led by Rev. CJ McGregor: A Unitarian Christmas. Although Garrison Keillor told Unitarians to leave Christmas alone and celebrate some other holiday, Christmas as we know it today would not exist without Unitarians.  Together we’ll learn about how this holiday really began in the mid 1800s after Unitarian Charles Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol".  Sunday December 25, 2016, 10:30am, Sanctuary


7 Holiday Giving Opportunities

GIFTS FOR THE MAMAS (MOTHERS AGAINST MURDERS ASSOCIATION) Mission: To assist parents or guardians of murder victims and to provide quality programs for youth that will turn them away from violent acts. This organization counsels grieving families who have lost a member to murder. When the mothers are ready the group brings them to speak to prisoners about the damage the murder does to survivors, including children too young to remember a slain parent.  This organization is a partner with us in our Racial Justice Initiative.

1. The Annual Christmas Toy Drive for the children of the MAMAs will continue through December 15th. Unwrapped toys or new clothes of all kinds for age 12 or under are appreciated. As in the past, we have a table set up in Minister’s Hall for your donation.  This has been an especially traumatic year for the families that the MAMAs represent.

 2.
A small, personal gift with a message of condolence and community support for the mothers (the MAMA members) who have lost a family member through neighborhood gun violence.  We'll have a separate box set up for these donations.

3. $5 raffle ticket to support the MAMAs organization.  Take several to sell in your circle. See Judy Bonner or Ramsay Laing.

LAKE PARK COMMUNITY FOOD BANK provides a food pantry to serve Lake Park area residents. Open Tuesday and Thursday: 9 am - 12pm.  We collect items weekly.

4.  In December, Let’s emphasize   nonfood items that can’t be purchased with food stamps.  Eg toilet paper, diapers, personal grooming items.  Place items during offertory in boxes at front of sanctuary.

5. GIFT CARDS FOR TEENS it’s that time of the year when we begin our annual collection of $10 gift cards from Target or Walmart. The cards are given to the teens/young adults in the Children's Home Society programs.  The older children are often forgotten, while the younger ones tend to receive gifts donations.  This type of collection allows the teen to purchase items they personally need or want.  Last year First UU was very generous so, in the spirit of the Holiday Season please bring your gift cards and give them to Sam Irwin or Judy Bonner.  Be sure to visit the church office to read the delightful thank you notes they send.

6. SOCKS FOR THE HOMELESS – Many Saturdays our members distribute lunches for the homeless at St. George’s Church in Riviera Beach.  Let’s add a pair of socks in men’s or women’s large to help the homeless keep warm in the cooler days ahead.  Place socks in box in front of the sanctuary.

7. UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST SERVICE COMMITTEE donation. The catastrophic hurricane that slammed into Haiti earlier this month, dealing a terrible blow to a nation still struggling to recover from the devastating 2010 earthquake. In some parts of Haiti, destruction caused by the hurricane was so complete that people are now seeking shelter in caves. Cholera and other diseases are threatening millions. And millions of families just getting back on their feet after the 2010 earthquake have to start all over. 
UUSC is focusing our work on the “stateless” refugees deported from the Dominican Republic and stranded along that country’s border with Haiti, vulnerable families living in shelters, and other groups most likely to fall through the cracks of traditional rescue and relief efforts.
In Myanmar (Burma), violent skirmishes this month between government security forces and members of the long-persecuted Rohingya minority group threaten to erupt into massive bloodshed. UUSC is working furiously with our partners to deescalate the situation before it spirals out of control.    Meanwhile, the situation in Myanmar is extremely tense. Information is still very sketchy, but here’s what we know for sure: recent violence in Rakhine state has enabled government security operations to cut off assistance to tens of thousands of ethnic Rohingya and other vulnerable populations and forced them to flee their homes.

We’re working with our grassroots partner, the Burma Human Rights Network, to document and publicize information about this crisis and neutralize hate speech and malicious disinformation campaigns before this crisis explodes beyond control.

There will be a box in the Narthex for your donations.  Please write checks to 1stUUPB and put UUSC on the memo line.
  

Sunday Service, Dec. 4, 2016 -- Bearers of Light

In the words of Diane Thornton: "Give yourself to giving, and you'll find that the things that matter are returning." The things that matter cannot return unless we actively bring them back, unless we pull them out of the darkness of no return, and shine the light of possibility on them. Possibilities that are as diverse as we are, inside and outside of these four walls.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Employee Holiday Gift Fund

Dear Members and Friends,

As a Congregation, we are very fortunate to have a wonderfully talented and dedicated staff that deserves our thanks.  While we have a large group of volunteers whose work is invaluable to our Congregation, without the services of our paid staff we would not enjoy as rich and fulfilling an experience as we do. Think about the many ways that you have benefited from the services of our staff during the past year.

The giving of gifts is an integral part of the holidays.  Gifts are given for many reasons, but certainly one of the most important is as a way of showing our thanks and appreciation for the help we have received.  As is our tradition during the holidays, we like to give each member of our staff a bonus as a way of thanking them for all they have given us in the past year.  

The employees who will share your contributions are: Rev. CJ McGregor, Barbara Hatzfeld, Willie Nelson, Peilin Ko, and Jennifer Hommel.

You may send your gift through the mail to our office or, if you prefer, drop it off at the office personally. The deadline is December 19, 2016.

Thank you all for your generosity.

Paul Ward, president, Board of Trustees

Food Packaging Event, Saturday, Dec 3, 11am

The final food packaging event of this year is scheduled for Saturday at 11am.  We’ve purchased freeze-dried veggies, rice, lentils and high mineral content salt, enough for roughly 2,400 meals.  Come participate!  All are welcome.

Monday, November 28, 2016

Adult Programs Opportunity

Intern Minister Claudia Jiménez can offer another series of "Owning Your Religious Past" in the new year if there are 10-12 interested participants. This 5 session program invites participants to explore their religious journey in a way that promotes greater self understanding and personal peace. What do you leave behind? What do you bring to the present? What do you redefine?
Attendance at all sessions is important. Tentative meetings dates will be Mondays, 3-5pm: Feb. 13, 27; March 13, 20; April 17. Contact Claudia to register cjimenez@meadville.edu or 772 633 6636.

Friday, November 4, 2016

Halloween Party Huge Success

Our Halloween Dinner/Party Saturday was a huge success -- it was truly BIGLY!

We want to thank the following for each of their invaluable contributions:
Paul and Hillary Ward -- Underwriting the full cost of the wine and soda, greatly improving the fund-raising feature of the evening.
June Kleeman and Pat Knight for decorations with the help of Amy Douglas and Richard Keelan.
Setup: CJ and Richard
Appetizers: Pat Knight, Gloria Golden, Frank Smith and Mary Rubeiz.
Entrees: Harry and Karen Wolin, Henry Gruen, CJ, and Frank and Anne Marie Smith.
Desserts: Amy Douglas, Jennifer Hommel, Frank Smith, the Wolins and Wes Fuchs.
Publicity and Office Organization: Larry Stauber and Barbara Hatzfeld.
Audio: Ben Juhl
Cleanup: Amy Douglas, Kathe Bannigan, Larry Stauber and Willie Nelson.

I'm sure I've missed someone and I do apologize in advance to those folks.

This was another in the Food Gang's efforts to build community and, at the same time raise funds for the mission of the Congregation. While figures are not complete, it is certain that this event raised in excess of $1,000 for the Congregation. This was all because all personal efforts and the vast majority of the food costs were donated by your fellow congregants. This event was also a success because so many of you joined in this truly sumptuous and totally fun evening.

The Food Gang
Harry and Karen, Henry, CJ, Jenny and Frank

[Editor's note: Major kudos to Frank Smith for his extraordinary efforts in organizing and presenting this event. It was because of his attention and devotion to detail that it all went so well. Bravo Frank!]