Services: May 2008
Services at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. in Elarth Hall
Children’s Religious Education & Childcare at both services
Coffee and conversation 10:35–10:55 a.m.
Conversation after the second service

May 4, The Rev. Christine Brownlie: “Who Do We Welcome?” Grammatical concerns aside, this is a question that I’m asked when a newcomer notices our Welcoming Congregation poster. What’s this about? What are we called to do as a “Welcoming Congregation”?

May 11, The Rev. Christine Brownlie: “Judith Sargent Murray The Mother of American Universalism. If the Rev. John Murray is the father of American Universalism, then his wife is surely the mother of this movement.

We will have a welcome ceremony for new members at both services.

The UUC Choir will sing “Go Out With Joy."

Potluck 12:15 p.m. sponsored by The Knitting covenant group. Bring a dish to share, and enjoy our community lunch.

May 18, The Rev. Christine Brownlie: “What We Want: the Ultimate and the Intimate.” The Rev. James Luther Adams, a twentieth century Unitarian theologian, claimed that people came to church because they were seeking a connection with the ultimate and the intimate. Is this your reason for showing up on Sundays?

May 25: Please join the Young Religious Unitarian Universalists (YRUU) as they lead their annual Spring service and bridging ceremony. The two youth being bridged out will be Erika Reid and Alice Cennamo: long-term members of the group.

Fourth-Sunday Collections are one way UUs reach out to those needing our help. Our collection on May 25 will support Community Action’s “Virginia Cares” program. Community Action is an established local human services organization. This new (Virginia CARES) project helps those who have been incarcerated transition into their communities and prevent recidivism.  The program serves anyone who has been incarcerated for any time, long or short, and is totally voluntary. For example, Virginia Cares helps clients secure necessary items (such as a copy of their birth certificate for identification) and other items for a job search. Please make checks out to “Community Action of the New River Valley” and note “Virginia CARES Program” in the memo line. For more information, contact Jill Columbus 382-6186 at Community Action of the NRV.

June 1 & 8: Single Services at 10:00 a.m.

Intergenerational: childcare but no RE

June 1, The Teacher and Youth-Advisor Recognition. This is our annual tribute to the teachers and youth advisors who have served the Congregation so generously during the past year in our children’s RE and youth programs.

Informational meeting after the service

June 8, The Rev. Christine Brownlie: “Inch by Inch, Row by Row, Look How We’ve Grown.” The Flower Service is a beloved end of the year ritual in many UU congregations. Everyone is asked to bring a flower for each member of the family. We will use the flowers to create a large and beautiful bouquet symbolizing the beauty of our own Congregation. At the end of the service, everyone will take home a flower as a reminder that even when we are away from one another, the connections remain. This will be a shortened service due to the Congregational meeting that follows the service.