SHARING OUR PLATE, January  - Please make checks out to “Partakers”

Each month 80% of the cash contributions in the collection plate go to a designated charity, along with checks made out directly to them. The balance of the cash and checks made out to the church go to the church (please indicate on the comment line whether the check is for pledge 2010, Building for Fellowship, or gift).

Partakers is committed to advancing restorative justice, rehabilitation, and the healing transformation of both prisoners and society. Partakers' mission is to reduce prisoner recidivism through education and civic engagement. A number of members of our congregation volunteer in Partakers’ “College Behind Bars” program. The goal of the program is to provide opportunities and support for inmates to obtain four-year college degrees in prison. A team of volunteers is assigned to a prisoner in Boston University’s Prison Education Program. They act as mentors, supporting prisoners in reaching their goals for academic achievement and personal and/or spiritual growth while they work toward completing their college degree.
 

New to our church community? You are invited to a “New UU” class with Reverend Wendy Bell and hosted by the Membership Committee. Sunday, January 24 from 11:30 a.m.to 1:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided. The “New UU” class is a great way to meet other newcomers in our community and to learn more about Unitarian Universalism. Come discover more about this church, its activities, and how it all works. Please sign-up by emailing membership@uuharvard.org or by calling Betsy Williams. Childcare can be arranged with notice.
   

Did you miss your chance to sign up for this amazing evening at the auction last year? There are still a few seats left at the table. Celebrate midwinter with a Single Malt Tasting and Whisky-Inspired Dinner at the home of Nick and Cary Browse. Chef Rev. Wendy and helpers Cathy Ball, Jem Mix, Rink Wheeler, Nick and Cary Browse will join forces to create a magical evening for up to 20 people. We will taste single malts from several whisky-producing regions of Scotland, including at least one example of rare and exquisite single cask whisky. Rev. Wendy promises a unique menu consisting of "much better than average" Scottish-influenced fare.

Saturday, January 30; $60/person. For more information contact Cary Browse. 
   

Interested in becoming a member of our church? Join Reverend Wendy Bell and the Membership Committee for the Path to Membership Class Sunday, February 14 from noon to 2:00 p.m. The Path to Membership class will answer your questions about our church and will help participants delve more deeply into what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist. We will offer a way to discover ones gifts and talents that often lead to interesting insights and discussions. For more information and to sign-up, please contact membership@uuharvard.org or call Betsy Williams. Lunch will be served and childcare can be arranged with notice.
   

In the last week, many of you received an email from the minister inviting you to participate in the Stewardship Survey using an electronic service known as Survey Monkey; if you have not yet received this survey look for it soon! Please do take a few minutes and answer the 5 questions that are posed on the survey. In past years, you may have been called on by a visiting steward in an effort to gather feedback about how you feel about our church, who we are and what we do. This year, as we have tried to simplify the campaign, we are trying something new and hope that you will take advantage of this opportunity to share your thoughts with Wendy and the Stewardship Team. The survey can be found at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=xBm1iHxtIZR8GafZQEosyg_3d_3d

Sunday morning, stop by the Stewardship Table in the back of the church to see where we stand in meeting our goal of $190,000. As a reminder and clarification, your pledge made now is for the 2010 calendar year and can be paid over the course of 2010.
   

The Book Table, sponsored by the Women’s Alliance, is open again.We have books from the UUA Bookstore for sale. There are lots of new books, including some from the list that the Worship and Inspiration Team provided on “promises.”                            

• A Promise Is a Promise, by Robert Munsch, Michael Kusugak, Vladanya Kaykorka.
• Angel City, by Tony Johnston
• Crane Wife, by Odds Bodkin
• Horton Hatches the Egg, by Dr. Seuss
• Marriage From the Heart: 8 Commitments of a Spiritually Fulfilling Life Together, by Lois Kellerman and Nelly Bly
• Bless This Food: Ancient and Contemporary Graces from Around the World, by Adrian Butash
• The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Boys from Falling Behind in School and Life, by Michael Gurian
• Dating Jesus: a Story of Fundamentalism, Feminism, and the American Girl, by Susan Campbell
• Making the Good Life Last: Four Keys to Sustainable Living, by Michael A. Schuler
• Heart to Heart: 14 Gatherings for Reflection and Sharing, by Christine Robinson & Alicia Hawkins
• Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty, by Mark Winne.
• Evidence, by Mary Oliver
• Owls and Other Fantasies, by Mary Oliver
• Red Bird, by Mary Oliver
    

For 18 months, beginning September 1, Rev. Wendy will be part of the third class of GreenFaith Fellows.

GreenFaith is an interfaith coalition for the environment. Its mission is to “inspire, educate and mobilize people of diverse spiritual backgrounds to rediscover their relationship with the sacred in nature and to restore the earth for future generations.” The GreenFaith Fellowship Program was developed to educate and train clergy and lay people to become religious-environmental leaders.

As part of her Fellowship, Rev. Wendy will be participating in three residential sessions and “toxic tours,” learning about environmental justice issues, developing a personal eco-theological statement, and ultimately developing and implementing a religious-environmental leadership plan. You’ll hear more about her GreenFaith work as she becomes more immersed in the program.

For more information about GreenFaith and its programs in general, check out their website: www.greenfaith.org.
   

Please beware that the church has changed banks. If you have any outstanding un-cashed checks from the church's Bank of America account, please cash them by July 31. After this date the checks will no longer be valid.

Louise (Weezie) Potter, Bookkeeper
 

Green Sanctuary Survey Report

The Green Sanctuary Survey Report has been released. It provides a view of our collective environmental footprint in the areas of solid waste reduction, transportation fuel conservation, and smart energy use. The report also contains bits of information on the consequences of our behaviors, a few tips for making better choices, and some pointers to other resources.

The bottom line: we care, we’re good, and there’s room for us to improve, which is what the Green Sanctuary Program is all about!

Feel like getting your green on? Contact Didi Chadran.

Didi and the other members of the HUUC Green Sanctuary Committee invite you to visit and join the Green Santuary Google Site.