Service Schedule:

August 5
August 12
August 19     India on $5 Per Day
August 26     Singing the Journey

Minister: Consulting Interim Minister Myron Andes’ regular office hours are Tuesday and Wednesday from 1:30-4:30.  If you cannot reach him in the office please leave a message at 474-1704 and he will return your phone call in a timely manner. 

SUNDAY SERVICES

August 19- India on 5$ Per Day
Sara Beliesh will discuss her trip to India this spring.... and music by others that week.

August 26 – Singing the Journey
Worship Leader Teri Rockwood

Worship Associates and Accompanists Sarah Bielish and Aaron Riedford

    Come join us as we take a musical venture for worship with the new hymnal supplement “Singing the Journey.”

FROM THE MINISTRY OF WORSHIP
    As we move into another church year, we continue to have a committed group of individuals on the Worship Committee.  What happens on Sundays is significant to the life and well-being of the congregation.  Inspiration, intellectual challenge, spiritual nourishment, community belonging, intergenerational connections, continuity with the Unitarian Universalist faith, and an expression of the living tradition of Unitarian Universalism are all possible. We look forward to this next church year.  

   The current individuals providing you this ministry include John Schaeffer, Tom Moor, Jan Steinmark, Teri Rockwood, Alice Carden, Chad Tew, Link Christensen, and George Klinger.  We will continue to work closely with the next Consulting Interim Minister, which may be as early as this Fall.

    If you have a topic that you would like us to consider, please feel free to contact any one of us.

TRANSITION TEAM
    The Transition Team was formed to "instigate" needed changes in our congregation as we make the size transition from family-size to pastoral-size.  As such, we are currently working on the development of a new Membership Committee to help us focus on new member assimilation to our church.  This new group will oversee welcoming and education for new members about all the ways to be involved and connected with our Unitarian Universalist ministry.

    We have received most of the gifts and talents surveys back and would like to thank all who have participated.  If you forgot to send yours back or would like to fill one out, please contact Teri Rockwood at teri.rockwood@gmail.com.  We are excited about having a resource to help us meet the needs of the church and its members and friends, and to help everyone use their talents and interests in the service of a good cause.

    The members of the Transition Team include Myron Andes, Dave Granholm, Jan Steinmark, and Teri Rockwood.  If you have any questions about the Transition Team and what we are up to, please feel free to ask any of us.

WHAT IS POLITY AND WHY DO WE NEED IT?
    Polity is the form of government of a church. Unitarian-Universalist polity says that no one can speak for the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation without a vote by the congregation to adopt that policy.

    It is time for the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Evansville (UUCE) to prepare for public statements of approval or disapproval of national, state, and local political, social, and legal issues. September 5, 2007 will initiate a weekly meeting of interested members and friends about the issues of the day. We will study issues such as the death penalty, gay and lesbian marriage, health care reform, abortion and family planning, the United Nations, and other items that many of us hold dear.

    The end result of the weekly study will be to present the congregation with a position paper on our study of the issue. Each month we will request a congregational meeting to discuss and approve the work of the study group. At some future point, when asked, the Minister of UUCE, the President of the UUCE Board, or a UUCE member can say that "Our congregation feels this way or that way about this issue."

    More about this next month. Until then, peace be with us.

Social Action Committee
Chris Norrington
Lincoln Christensen

BOARD OF DIRECTOR’S MEETING
    UUCE Board of Director's meets the first Wednesday of the month at 6:00 PM. 

MARK THE DATES 
    Fall Festival will be the week of October 1-6, 2007.  As usual we need help getting prepared as well as help in the booth during the week.  Plan no to spend a day or two supporting YOUR UU church!!

FALL FESTIVAL UPDATE!
    Due to suggestions from the board of health we will be changing the way we prepare food for the Fall Festival.  Chicken and cookies will no longer be prepared in individual homes.  Instead we will host cooking parties at church where we will prepare the chicken and bake the cookies.  Dates and times will be announced at a later date. 

    Also, we will be collecting money to purchase bulk supplies for the cookie baking party. 

POTLUCK
    Our next potluck will be on August 26, 2007.  Come join your fellow UU’s for good food and good conversation!

GREETERS NEEDED
    As the Greeter Coordinator, I need your help in making sure that there are smiling faces to greet newcomers and good friends alike on Sunday mornings before church.  The goal is to have two greeters for every Sunday.  You don't have to get there super early, just by about 9:40 or so.  For a complete job description and to sign up, see me, Lauren Talley, in church or contact me via phone or email (xgj36@hotmail.com).  Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you!

COFFEE
     Fair Exchange coffee 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. 

MONTHLY PLATE SHARE
    Our monthly plate share will be collected for UUSC and their action against the Iraq war.

FIRST FRIDAY DRUMMING CIRCLE
    The First Friday Shamanic Drum and Healing Circle is at 7:00 PM on the first Friday of each month.  All are welcome.

PSG MEETINGS                                                       
    We are a pagan study group that is currently working on meditation, energy work, magic, and ethics, as well as learning about a host of other pagan practices and topics. You do not have to be pagan to attend these meetings. We hold group celebrations for the fire festivals and public celebrations for the solstices and equinoxes.  Contact us (Megan Tuley and Lauren Talley) at evansvillepsg@hotmail.com if you have any questions (see calendar for dates and times).

PSG CELEBRATION
    The UU Pagans are at it again: watch out for upcoming announcements in church and in next month's newsletter about the Pagan Study Group's Mabon (Fall Equinox) celebration in late September.  This will be open to church members/friends and the public alike.  You don't have to be pagan to attend.  Please join us for a joyous celebration of thanks for Mother Earth's bounty as well as the blessings we have received in our lives.  Details to follow...

PHOTO SUNDAY
    Before and after the August 5th Church Service our photographer Ann Hanat will be taking your pictures for inclusion in the the new 2007-2008 Membership Directory.

    The first picture directory ever was a popular tool that helped us contact one other and learn the names of new faces. This time we would like 100 percent coverage.

    Get your household's picture in the new directory. There will be a “make-up date” in September for those who miss August 5th.

UUCE MOVES to STEWARDSHIP
    One of the first official acts of the new Board was to create a full-year Stewardship Committee that would replace our practice of having 3-month long Pledge Drive Committees.

    This was groundbreaking step. Not just because we realized that commitments and the Church’s health are a full-year process. Most important, the Board decided to make a philosophical shift.

    The shift to stewardship, as articulated by Wayne Clark of the UUA in Beyond Fundraising, involves a philosophical shift toward nurturing what we have, taking ownership of our Church, making the steps that will help us achieve our vision, appreciating our efforts, and giving and receiving the gifts from this commitment.

    Why stewardship? We are all caretakers of this Church, and not just in terms of money. Commitments come in many forms, such as the giving of talents, time, or participation. So much generosity is given and received in the life of our Church. Part of the new approach is to make our commitments in a self-conscious manner as we approach religious life.

    Recently, a long-time member wondered aloud, “Do we care about what we have?” Actually his question is the first step in this new approach because we need to know what we appreciate what we have before we can begin to nurture our Church.

    So I would like to share a few thoughts about what we can appreciate:

v  We can appreciate that our Church fills a vital niche in our lives and in our community. Many people see Evansville and the surrounding community as conservative in religious belief and action. How refreshing it is to have a Congregation of independent minds! How wonderful it is to see people from Church at other events around town where we find mutual interest and common cause. What a blessing that members show their support of each others’ spiritual journeys.

v  We have so many people who are willing and able to serve the Church and realize our vision. At the annual dinner, we took joy in the recognition of all those who serve in so many ways.

v  We have a Congregation which makes Church attendance a priority. If you compare our Church attendance relative to our current membership with other UU Congregations, you can begin to appreciate what your presence on Sunday mornings really means. Our services have a vitality that brings people back.

v  We as a Congregation are committed to a full-time ministry. I appreciate the many members of this Church who are working hard to bring a new interim minister and to find a new full-time settled minister. They face many obstacles, but they continue on in this commitment.

v  We enjoy a healthy working relationship with the Heartland District and the UUA, which has only been strengthened by the process of finding interims and a settled minister.

v  And we can appreciate the outreach that we do. Once a month we take up an offering for an outside organization that is doing good work in our community. Our participation with CAJE, work of the Social Action Committee, and choice of vocations and volunteerism speak to our efforts to make the world a better place.

v  We have been a sound financial Church for many years. We have a well-trafficked location with both a Church and a house as paid assets. Generous endowments and funds have added to our financial security.

v  We have so many visitors to our Church who are curious about Unitarian Universalism.

    This list is not at all complete. But appreciation is a good place to start. How many home projects have been started by appreciative owners who think to themselves how a new addition or some other project might make their homes more attractive and improve the quality of their lives? The same can be said for a Church.

    Now what is on your list?