Title: Sunday Service: Dia de Los Muertos
Location: 6 Locke Street
Description: Sunday, November 1, 10:30 a.m. “Dia de Los Muertos” (The Day of the Dead)
An intergenerational service co-led by Thea Shapiro and Sara Hidalgo.
From pre-Columbian times, El Día de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, has been celebrated in
Mexico on November 1-2. This is a very special ritual, since it is the day when the living remember
their departed relatives. The Day of the Dead is a beautiful ritual in which Mexicans happily and
lovingly remember their loved relatives who have died. Thea and Sara will lead our celebration of
mourning and joy for those who have passed on in our lives. They ask that you bring and share a
favorite food, of the person you will be remembering. In addition, photographs and other
mementos of those you loved who are now gone may be placed on the altar. You may also
remember your Pets.
Start Time: 10:30
Date: 2009-11-01
End Time: 11:30

Title: Full Moon Drum Circle
Location: 6 Locke Street
Description: You are invited to come drum the Full Moon. Whether you are an
experienced drummer or have never drummed before, come learn African
rhythms and join us as we drum and dance to celebrate the full moon.
Experience the uplifting, joyful and healing and healing power of the drum
circle. Drums and rhythm instruments available in the circle or bring your
own.
Jane Gossard will facilitate the drum circle. Jane has lead drum circles for
people of all ages, including monthly drum circles at Rolling Ridge Center in
North Andover and the Andover Senior Center.
Monday November 2, 2009 7 to 9 P.M. at UUCiA, 6 Locke St.
Andover, MA
Admission $15 Adults, $5 children (Sliding scale available)
Contact Sherry Lundquist for details.
SHERRY_LUNDQUIST@YAHOO.COM
Save the dates: Next Full Moon drum circle will be Wednesday, December 2,
7 P.M.
Start Time: 19:00
Date: 2009-11-02
End Time: 21:00

Title: Sunday Service: A UU Look at the Afterlife
Location: 6 Locke Street
Description: Sunday, November 15, 10:30 a.m. \”A UU Look at the Afterlife\”, with Rev. Lara Hoke.
We don\’t talk about it much, but everybody dies. What, if anything, happens after we die? Is it
ridiculous to believe that there might be an afterlife? What is the meaning of \”the afterlife\” for
Unitarian Unversalists? What do our Unitarian and Universalist heritages have to offer us? So
many questions and so little time in this \”one wild and precious life\” (to quote Mary Oliver)! Please
join us as we think it through together.
Start Time: 10:30
Date: 2009-11-15
End Time: 11:30

Title: Sunday Service: Save Your Planet, Save Your Soul
Location: 6 Locke Street
Description: Sunday, October 25, 10:30 a.m. “Save Your Planet, Save Your Soul” with Rev. Lara
Hoke. Some call it “global warming”; some call it “climate change”; some have suggested that
“global climate crisis” captures the urgency a bit better. By any name, the earth’s rising
temperature (as well as environmental degradation) is a topic that won’t, and shouldn’t, go away.
A day after the “International Day of Climate Action” (taking place on October 24, see
www.350.org for more information), Lara will sermonize about the global climate crisis as a
spiritual crisis. We will explore how “saving your soul” and “saving your planet” go hand in hand.
Start Time: 10:30
Date: 2009-10-25
End Time: 11:30

Title: Cakes for the Queen of Heaven Location: 6 Locke Street
Description: Cakes for the Queen of Heaven, Part I of a two part series of workshops that examines pre-Judeo Christian cultures that may have worshiped the female as divine. The concepts of equality and reverence for the female in a religious setting are eye-opening to many participants.
Classes will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Andover, 6 Locke Street, Andover, MA 01810
Part I: 5 Sessions will be held on Sundays, October 25th, November 8th, 15th, 22nd and December 6th 7:00 to 9:00 PM
Part I: In Ancient Times
IN ANCIENT TIMES introduces participants to ancient Goddesses, weaving their stories together with major concerns of women today. The five session adult religious education curriculum includes an introductory section featuring author Shirley Ranck’s
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The fall has gotten off to a wonderful start. We have had great services, pasta dinner with the pastor, a Habitat day and it feels good to be in community together.

The children and youth and I did tie-dying a couple of weeks ago. It was fun and we talked about how colors always look great when you tie-dye and like people when they work together, something amazing happens–Beauty.

We had our first yoga week- which was fun and energizing.

We are reading old stories and talking about the deeper meanings, like The Woman and the Lion’s Whisker, a story from East Africa.

It is wonderful to have little children running around at coffee hour. Please take some time to meet these newest youngsters and their mom.

Enjoy the changing leaves, the cool sweet air and the beautiful light that happens this time of year.

In Peace,
Thea

Growth. On the Board, we think it about constantly and we finally called in an expert on growth in small UU congregations, the Rev. Jane Dwinell. The Board and all of our committee chairpersons or their representitives met with Jane two Saturdays ago and had a great exchange with someone who really knows what we have been through. She was able to give us a lot of positive feedback about our situation and relieve some of our angst over the ‘Growth’ problem. Chances are we will never be a mega church but we will grow. It may be incremental and sometimes excrutiatingly slow but it will happen. We will have setbacks and weeks of small attendance at Sunday services but we will grow.

In what manner we grow is difficult to answer. Will we have a lot of young people or will we be representative of a more mature population? The bottom line is we don’t know and there is no magic bullet or potion that will create growth. According to Jane, we are doing a lot of good things now with our approach to visitors. She advised us about a small group of changes to our Order of Worship that are intended to make visitors more comfortable. We have made those changes and you may not have even noticed them but a visitor will be able to follow our service with little or no confusion, an important factor when checking out a new church or religion.

We will be trying out a variety of small steps in the future that we hope will lead to an increase in visitors who will stay with us. The most important thing you, as a member of our congregation, can do is to take a few moments at coffee hour to welcome a visitor and make them feel comfortable. We are all part of a wonderful community and it would be great to share it with those who are looking for something special.

Bob Rougvie

President

We are in the midst of the Jewish holiday known as Sukkot. A sukkah (singular of sukkot) is a temporary structure, a kind of a tent or “booth”. During the holiday of Sukkot, our observant Jewish sisters and brothers build these temporary structures. This is to remind them of the time when the Jewish people were wandering in the desert for forty years after leaving Egypt. As a colleague recently reminded me, the fragility and impermanence of a sukkah is meant to remind us of the fragility and impermanence of our very lives.

This past Saturday, I participated in a Habitat for Humanity “build day” along with several members of the UUCiA (I was there for a half day; the others for the entire day). In addition to being impressed by the skills and generosity of the volunteers (our own, and the others there that day), it was a reminder of how fragile all our homes are. The site for the “build day” this past Saturday was a site that had been destroyed in a January 2008 fire. The Habitat volunteers are rebuilding it, hopefully to be finished by the end of this year. No structure is permanent, no matter how well-built; no one lives forever. But to my way of thinking, acts of generosity and loving-kindness are eternal. Acts of generosity and loving-kindness live forever in the memories of those who experienced them, and passed on that love in their own way.

Sukkot and the fragility of the sukkah also remind me of the vulnerability of our own planet. October 24 is the International Day of Climate Action (see www.350.org for details). As the website states, “In anticipation of the October 24th International Day of Climate Action, writer and environmentalist Bill McKibben will offer his penetrating insights on global and local efforts for climate justice and the individual, institutional, and political change the crisis demands. People of faith and people of conscience, educators and community leaders, scientists and students will meet to hear a common call to action. Together we can make it clear that the world needs an international plan that meets the latest science and safeguards our irreplaceable earth for future generations.” I encourage anyone with the interest and availability to mark their calendar and attend McKibben’s presentation on Sunday, October 18, 2pm at Memorial Church, Harvard University, in Cambridge. McKibben is the best-selling author The End of Nature and a captivating speaker.

I thank you for your loving care of your planet, your neighbors, and each other. I remain plumb excited to be a part of this thoughtful and generous congregation.

In faith,

Lara

Title: Book Discussion Group
Location: Home
Description: November 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the home of Lynne Batchelder. The book is The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery.
Start Time: 19:30
Date: 2009-11-01
End Time: 20:30

Title: Sunday Service: Association Sunday
Location: 6 Locke Street
Description: Sunday, October 11, 10:30 a.m. Association Sunday, with Rev. Lara Hoke. Association Sunday is part of the Unitarian Universalist Association’s comprehensive campaign to grow our faith. Lara will sermonize about the this year’s campaign to grow our diversity, and there will be a special collection to support the UUA’s Growing Our Diversity initiatives. Now is the time to bring our message of peace, justice and love to the world – to spread the “good news” of Unitarian Universalism!
Start Time: 10:30
Date: 2009-10-11
End Time: 11:30