I would like to start off by thanking all of you for your support as my mom goes through her recovery. It is so nice to have a community of such caring people around when things get tough.

This Sunday will be the final in our monthly series on experiencing Unitarian Universalism through different themes. This week we will be talking about prayer and meditation.

I hope you can join us.

I am looking at ways to get youth more involved in social justice work. Habitat for Humanity has an opening for Student Build on October 25. I know this is far away, but they tend to fill up pretty quickly. If your child is between 12 and 16 and interested, please let me know and I will ask Habitat to hold the day for us. It is Sunday 10AM -3PM.

Here is what they say about the program:

I’m glad to hear of your interest in our StudentBuild. In response to the many youth groups who have asked to work with Merrimack Valley Habitat for Humanity, we are reviving Sunday “StudentBuilds.” On the last Sunday of each month from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., we’ll host a program that will include learning about our work, meeting a Habitat homeowner, and working in Lawrence either at a work site or our warehouse. Although youth under the age of 16 are legally prohibited from certain kinds of construction, there are many creative ways for youth to be involved in Habitat’s mission.

Work will vary from month to month according to the current needs on-site. Some months, handson work at the site will be needed: painting, landscaping, insulation installation, concrete work, fence and brick work, for instance. Other months we may need your help in the warehouse where you might build door and window frames, picnic tables or trash containers. All work contributes to our goal of building as many decent, affordable homes for deserving families as possible. Just as our adult volunteers don’t choose which work they do on a given work day, youth volunteers will need to fit into the building schedule and what needs to be done at the time.

We ask that participating youth groups help cover the costs of supervision and materials either by making a donation or through ongoing fundraisers at their church or school. For instance, some high school groups are collecting “Nickels for Nails.”

On Saturday, March 28th, 6:30 p.m. we will begin our Canvass or Pledge process with a social get together at Locke Street to enjoy some good food, music and companionship. We hope to get as many together as possible to enjoy an evening of fellowship before the sometimes arduous process of financial stewardship begins. Please let us know if you are coming. There will be a table set up after service next Sunday or you can email me to confirm your place at the table. We are asking for a small donation of $ 7.50 each to cover the cost of the food.

The process to solicit your pledge will be a little different this year. You will have the choice to hand in your pledge, ask for a phone ‘visit’ or have an actual visit by a canvasser. Details will be explained both at the dinner on the 28th and at the following Stewardship Sunday service on the 29th of March. We hope to finish the pledge in a timely manner as our plans to hire a part-time minister are somewhat contingent on your response to the Pledge Drive. We are all dealing with
this economy in our own ways but I hope you will consider what this community has meant to you over the months and years. We are a resilient bunch as witnessed by how we came together this year to not only survive but to start prospering again. Our plans for next year are worthy of your support and we hope you can be generous.

In March, I will be leading Sunday services. On March 1, we will be looking at our ideas about Unitarian Universalism. On March 8, we will talk and sing about the music we make in the world. On March 15, we will discuss and feel how our physical beings are sacred. And on March 24 we will experience different ways of prayer and meditation. I hope you can
come. Bring a friend (all ages are welcome), come together to get a feel of religious education for all ages.

!!Socks!!!!

They keep you warm; they can be fun, cozy or even remind you of a time,place or person. This Sunday bring your sock stories, wear your favorite socks and bring new socks for us to give to folks at Lazarus House. We will be reflecting on things that are cozy.

Title: Pasta Potluck
Location: 6 Locke Street
Description: Come and join us at 6:30 p.m. for pot-luck pasta. Lorraine and Vinny will prepare one of their famous pasta dishes, please bring a salad, vegetables, bread or dissert to share. It is a great way to start the weekend.
Start Time: 18:30
Date: 2009-04-03
End Time: 20:30

Title: Sunday Service: Stewardship
Location: 6 Locke Street
Description: On Sunday, March 29th, the Rev. Victor Carpenter will be leading our annual Stewardship Sunday and based on his previous visit with us, it should be an excellent service to begin our annual canvas.
Start Time: 10:30
Date: 2009-03-29
End Time: 11:30

Our best wishes and prayers go out to Thea Shapiro, our fellow congregant and RE Director for the speedy recovery of her mother in Nova Scotia. And our thanks go to Thea for putting together a wonderful service last Sunday, even though she was not able to lead the service because of her Mother’s illness. It was a good morning for all of us who attended.

On Sunday, March 29th, the Rev. Victor Carpenter will be leading our annual Stewardship Sunday and based on his previous visit with us, it should be an excellent service to begin our annual canvas. The canvas, of course, determines what we will be able to do in our next fiscal year in terms of hiring a part time minister, social justice donations, religious education programs, etc. Talking about money is not one of our strong points but we have to do it every year. This year, we are modifying the Pledge process in a way that we hope will make it easier for everyone. To start the canvas in proper UUCIA fashion, we are having a social event on Saturday evening on March 28th. This will be a dinner hosted by Debbie and Joe Zahka with a little help from their many friends. We see each other at Sunday Services and coffee hour but sometimes we just need a good excuse to get together and eat and perhaps have a little wine.