MINISTER’S MUSINGS    

    We are entering Spring and the arrival of new life. Many traditions have metaphors which speak of this time of transformation.

    The phoenix rising from the ashes, the Easter celebration of life after death. These traditions speak to us of hope. The kind of hope that after a period of darkness in our life, after difficult times we may yet again find happiness. After divorce or the death of a loved one we may once again be able to open ourselves to love.

    A friend once told me that one of the ways he worked to deal with his depression was to go outside for a walk every morning at dawn. Every day – day after day he witnessed the return of light. Light out of darkness. It gave him hope.

    I welcome your phone calls and emails if in this time of transition you find you need a little hope.

    I would also love to hear your stories of coming back to life. Perhaps we will share them for Easter.

Blessings,

Julie

ANNUAL PLEDGE DRIVE

    The Annual Pledge Drive will kick off April 2.  Watch and listen for more information!

GA IS COMING!

    General Assembly will be held in St. Louis this year!  It won’t be this close again for at least 3 years, 

so why not plan to attend at least past of GA, if not the entire time?  GA runs from June 21-25, 2006. 

For more information visit: www.uua.org/ga.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR BOARD PRESIDENT 

Hello all from the board room:
 
    As you know, this has been and continues to be a tumultuous year. We, your board members, are
marching forward with many things simultaneously. 

    On April 23rd, the congregation will meet after church to elect our next board members. In our board meeting Sunday, March 19th, we agreed to add to that meeting a vote to make formal application to become a welcoming congregation. We will be designated a Welcoming Congregation soon after the application is made.

    On the 21st we sent the paperwork to UUA for an interim minister. The Heartland Interim Director,
Lisa Presley, tells me there is a meeting soon in Florida to decide which interim minister will apply
for which position. Julia has promoted our church on the UUA chat site. A big thank you, Julia.

     Our new board members will come onto the board at an exciting time. Mark your calendars for the meeting on April 23rd. Your voice is important to all of us.

Sincerely,
Ben Sizemore   

Welcoming Congregation Committee

    The Welcoming Congregation Committee had a meeting in late February.  We have met the 16 criteria to acheive "Welcoming Congregation" status.  At the congregational meeting on April 23rd we will vote to become a Welcoming Congregation.

    Do you still have questions about our UU church becoming a Welcoming Congregation? Visit the UUA website at www.uua.org.  Also, after the service on April 9th, the UUCE Board, along with the Welcoming Congregation committee members, will be available to answer any questions you might have.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Parent’s Group Potluck followed by discussion.

We will meet at 11:30 on Apr 16. Newcomers always welcome. Parents and children eat together and then kid’s go off to play (childcare provided) and adults spend an hour on that day’s theme

CAJE update

 We had over 400 folks at the action on March 13^th.  Thanks to our UU folks who served as Floor Captains and to all of you who attended and brought people with you. The CAJE  literacy and career training teams will be meeting to decide on what will be the next steps.

Evensong will continue in April.

Groups are already closed.  Group 1 will continue to meet on Wed evenings (April 5, 12, 19, 26 & May 3) from 6:30 – 8pm.  Group 2 will continue to meet on Thursdays. (April 6, 13, 20, 26, & May 4) from 10-11:30)

Social Justice Kids

    On Sunday, April 2 the children in the Religious Education program will be weaving colorful foam placemats for the children at the Easter Seals preschool.

Social Justice

    This month we will again be collecting for the Vanderburgh County Humane Society.   

    Unfortuantely, our last collection was not successful due to the devastating tornado.  Please bring dog or cat food, treats, and toys to help homeless animals.  There will be a collection box in the foyer.  Any questions?  Ask Chris Norrington.  Thanks in advance for your support of this worthwhile organization

UUCE Is Moving Into The 21^ST Century!

     If you would like to help cut down on paper and printing costs by receiving the Compass via email and not snail mail please  sign up on the sheet in the lobby.  See Chris Norrington for more information. 

Coffee & Chocolate

    Fair Exchange coffee and chocolate bar order forms are available in the foyer or contact Chris Norrington at cnorrington@hotmail.com.  Please place your order by the 25^th of each month.

PIDG

    The Pagan Interest Discussion Group meets the second Wednesday of every month at 7pm at the church.  This month we will be discussing Tarot and Runes.  All are welcome.  If you have any questions, please contact Lauren Talley at xgj36@hotmail.com.

Childcare Assistance Needed

  As your resident Childcare Committee person, I'm asking for your help.  I will be away frequently in the summer, and so will not be able to do any sort of consistent job coordinating child care for the nursery, for parents' group meetings, or for board meetings from (approximately) late May until late August.  Also, the pool of UE theater students whom I normally rely on will be drastically reduced.  With luck, one or two dedicated and willing caregivers will stay the summer, but it is too soon to tell right now.  If you know of an ideal candidate and/or if you'd be willing to become my deputy (or boss) for the summer months, please let me know.  Thank you!
Mark Rigney, tracer@fgi.net

Church of the Larger Fellowship

    The Church of the Larger Fellowship is a UU organization created to serve UU’s far and wide. They are an online UU church for UU’s who don’t have a church nearby. This spring they are offering online courses open to all UU’s

    “This I Believe” will start Apr. 26^th for 6 weeks and will use creative writing exercises and story-telling to help participants articulate what they believe. 

    “Children’s Literature” will start in July and run 8 weeks. It will explore some children’s picture books and their meanings and uses in our lives and UU faith. Family participation is encouraged.

    Go to www.clfuu.org to learn more or register.

TSA Youth Group Rummage Sale Donations

    The Tri-State Alliance has scheduled a large Rummage Sale for Saturday, May 20 at White Sands, 2221 E. Morgan Avenue, Evansville, across from Buehler’s Buy Low.

      Donations are needed to make this event a success.  Please contact Sale Chair Jan Barrell at  e-mail Rustytooo2000@yahoo.com, or e-mail TSA President Wally Paynter at wallypaynter@aol.com.

      All proceeds from the sale will benefit the TSA Youth Group and will also help purchase HIV prevention supplies (for the safer sex kits TSA distributes in southwestern Indiana).

Holocaust Remembrance Month

    In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Month (April) please join us for a talk on Creating the Collection:  A conversation with David J. Leibson, LL.M, Harvard University, and the Bernard Flexner Professor of Law at the University of Louisville, and Carol Abrams, member of  CYPRESS (Committee to Promote Respect in Schools) and Evansville Living Best Community Mentor of Evansville 2005.

    Professor Leibson was one of the two interviewers of Tri-State Holocaust survivors and witnesses participating in the Steven Spielberg-founded Shoah Visual History Foundation, which has recorded over 52,000 testimonies. The Tri-State testimonies form the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library’s collection of 115 testimonies, the only three-state regional collection in the U.S.

WHEN: April 15, 2006 from 2-3 pm.

WHERE: Central Library- Browning Events Room B

ON-LINE CLASS OFFERING

Would you like to learn ways to:

    Make parenting less stressful?

    Communicate better and yell less?

    Have more good times with your child?

Would you like to communicate with other LGBT parents in a supportive and educational environment?

    Join us in the Family 179 Class:  Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans Online Parenting Class

A supportive, interactive class where parents and parents-to-be can explore the unique challenges of parenting in GLBT households while honing skills such as listening, discipline, stress management, and other aspects of family life.

Item Number: 9970 Section: 70

Spring Quarter, 2006

April 3^rd – June 16^th, 2006   

Offered through South Seattle Community College.

Course Fee: $57.00

    For questions or to obtain enrollment information, contact: ccoiro@sccd.ctc.edu

UU’re Home

    Copies of the 26^th edition of UU’re Home, a bed and breakfast directory for Unitarian Universalists and other religious liberals is now available.  For more information contact them at info@uurehome.com or 828-281-3253.