FROM THE PREZ…

    At our Annual Meeting last spring, we collectively and democratically made the decision to approve a budget that allows us to have an Interim Minister this year.  Later, we held a special Congregational Meeting where we voted to approve the spending of some of our endowment money to pay for this decision. In total, the UUA Transitions Office provided us with six candidates to interview.  Quickly, and for various reasons (location, money, interview elimination, etc.) we found ourselves with no interim candidates remaining, and the board started working on “Plan B”, a lay-lead year.

    Then, in early October, we were informed by the Transitions Office that a seventh interim candidate, Rev. Carolyn Brown, was available for us to interview.  The Board met the following week and unanimously agreed to continue our Interim Minister search process even though we were already a couple of months into the church year.  We were determined to “not” act out of desperation, but only to pursue an Interim Minister that was right for our congregation.  After an interview by the Interim Search Committee, and another by the full Board of Directors, the decision was unanimously made to proceed with an offer, pending a positive reference check.  As you know, the offer was accepted and Rev. Carolyn Brown will be joining us the first week of December.

    I believe this is great news for our congregation!  Having a minister-lead church is a key ingredient we need to meet our long-term growth and stewardship goals.  Those goals involve being a church community that provides all the many things individuals and families seek when they attend, and join, a church.  Having a minister adds the many pastoral elements that are otherwise impossible for us to offer.

    Our desire to have an Interim Minister this year, as well as a new Settled Minister starting in the fall of 2008, requires us to really come together as a church community.  We must fully engage our stewardship processes to be able to build and sustain this oasis of liberal religion in southwest Indiana.  So many people in this area need and love Unitarian Universalism and all that it stands for.  I need it, my family needs it, and I think you need it.  Yes, we will be called to fund our decisions and desires when the 2008 canvass begins and it will be a major challenge for us.  However, I know this giving and loving congregation will answer the call.

WELCOME REV. CAROLYN BROWN

    We are pleased to announce that Rev. Carolyn R. Brown has accepted our offer to be Interim Minister for the UU Church of Evansville.  Her term of service with us will be from December 2007 through August 2008.

    Carolyn received her BA in Philosophy at Pomona College in Claremont, CA and her Master in Divinity at Starr King.  She served the First UU Church of Wichita as their Settled Minister from August 2000 until December 2006 and during this past year has served a number of congregations as a fill-in minister.

    Carolyn brings many gifts and talents including a love for music.  She and her husband, along with their dog and cat, are moving to Evansville from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

GETTING TO KNOW US

    As I write this on November 19, I’m very excited to be on my way to becoming your Interim Minister!  I thought you’d be a little curious about who we are. 

    My husband of 29 years, Will Ranken, is a retired nuclear physicist, who spent about 40 years working at Los Alamos National Laboratory, which has a new name but it still there.  He has three grown children and five grandchildren.  His avocations include singing bass, playing the organ, and gardening, especially tomatoes.  He is a good cook, specializing in New Mexico and Thai cuisine.  We’re bringing green chiles with us, so beware!

    I am on my fourth or fifth career, if you include parenting.  Mother of four sons, two adopted bi-racial and two biological, I now have seven grandchildren.  I have been a singer, actress and pianist (well really I just play piano) with an interest in Renaissance music; an office manager; a financial and personnel administrator at LANL and now a UU minister.  My undergraduate degree in Philosophy is from Pomona College in Claremont, California.  I received my Master of Divinity in 1999 from Starr King School, one of our UU seminaries in Berkeley, California and received Final Fellowship from the UUA Department of Ministry in 2003. 

    We bring with us our Golden Retriever, Devi, named for the Hindu Goddess; and Sweetie, a tortoiseshell calico cat named by one of my grandchildren.

    We are long time UUs, and Will has served several churches in nearly every role possible for a volunteer, from President to chair of several search committees to advising LRY.  My credits are almost as extensive, except that I was never the President.  We love to play games, especially bridge and I am an avid walker.

Blessings, Carolyn 

(Rev. Carolyn Brown)

SUNDAY SERVICES

December 2- “Tools For Moving Into Your Christed Center” speaker Gregory Myers- Coptic Minister, Jan Steinmark-worship associate

    Your "Christed Center" is the core of you that knows and accepts your God Nature.  How do we begin the process of knowing and accepting our God Nature?  How do we discover it?  How do we practice it?  How do we move into it?  Together, we will explore a few paths that can lead us towards our God Nature.

December 9 – “As Ourselves”

    Most religions have a version of the Golden Rule, including Unitarian Universalism.  Often we fail to act on the most important part of this teaching.  This sermon introduces the congregation to the new interim minister’s theology.

December 16 – “The Art of Giving and Receiving”

    The original title of this sermon was “the Theology of Giving.”  It then became “The Necessity of Giving.”  But there is more to giving that needs to be considered.  Joyce Grenfell wrote:  “I have come to believe that giving and receiving are really the same.  Giving and receiving—not giving and taking.”

December 23 – “Remember the Solstice”

    Many of our December traditions have their roots in age old rituals of ancient peoples, considerably older than 2,000 years.  The early Christian church was expert in appropriating others’ religious festivals.  We will “remember” the original meanings of some of these celebrations and how they can enrich our lives.

December 24 – “Christmas Eve Candlelight Service”

   A family service with the reading of the Luke story of the birth of Jesus, interspersed with some readings, a children’s story, and several old favorite carols.  Mulled cider and cookies will follow.

Notes from the Ministerial Search Committee:
   The work continues, and our on-line profile, called the Congregational Record, is just about ready for a "public" unveiling.  Actually, the general public isn't the audience we want. The only readers we're after are those ministers in search of a new congregation. Once candidates have read our material, they will
signal their interest in learning more by contacting the MSC and sending us a profile of theirs. Part of the idea is that all this is done on-line, at a safe remove––but once mutual interest is established, however tentative, then the process should roll along much like a regular employment interview. We expect to be quite busy as the holidays approach!

BOARD OF DIRECTOR’S MEETING

    UUCE Board of Director's meets the first Wednesday of the month at 6:00 PM. 

PIZZA PARTY AND RE GOALS SETTING  
   The RE Committee would like to invite you ALL to a pizza party at the church on Sunday, December 2, at 5:00 pm. We are providing pizza and drinks. After dinner, we will go through some scripted exercises that will provide information for the RE committee to set some goals for the RE program for this year and beyond. You don't need to prepare in any way or bring anything with you except your good will for a quality UU RE program here at UUCE. Older youth are invited to stay for the exercises or they can set up in the board room to watch movies, play games, etc. Younger children will be in the nursery where child care will be provided. Please sign the RSVP sheet or call Becky McDonald to let us know you're coming. Hope to see you there!!
 The RE Committee
Becky McDonald, Natasha Goodge, Roy Harris, Jack Carden

Getting to Know UU

We are having an Inquirer’s Class on Dec. 9 at 11:30 a.m.

If you are a newcomer to our community, this is a great opportunity to meet our Interim Minister, hear about our church and the Unitarian Universalist faith, share religious journeys, ask questions, and meet other newcomers. The class will last up to an hour, depending on attendance. If you are a member or friend, we encourage you to attend to share your Unitarian Universalist experience. A light snack will be provided.  Please RSVP to Teri Rockwood by email (teri.rockwood@gmail.com) or by phone.

Are You Interested in Becoming a Member?

If you are interested in becoming a member or learning more about the membership path, please contact Teri Rockwood.  I would like to schedule a class in January for those who are interested.  This is an opportunity to learn ways in which you can get connected to your church community. My contact information is teri.rockwood@gmail.com or by phone. Looking forward to hearing from you.

GREETERS NEEDED

    Want to contribute to the church in a meaningful way but only have, say, 20 minutes a week to spare?  Perfect!  Be a greeter!  Greeters are those wonderful, smiling people you've noticed welcoming people at the door, passing out hymnals in the sanctuary, and straightening up chairs after the service on Sundays.  It's a fun, easy, and important job that doesn't take much time at all.  Interested?  See me, Lauren Talley, in church, or contact me via email (xgj36@hotmail.com) or by phone. I look forward to hearing from you!

COFFEE

     Chocolate will be available for order beginning November 1st.  Place your order for a case of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, and other items.  Contact Chris Norrington at cnorrington@hotmail.com or call.  Thanks for your continued support of this project that helps the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.  

NATIVE AMERICAN DRUMMING CIRCLE

    The Native American Drumming Circle meets the first and third Friday of each month at 7:00 PM at the church.  All are welcome.

4^th SUNDAY FUN DRUM

   We have started a new drumming circle. It is called the 4th Sunday Fun Drum.  It will be held every 4th Sunday in the Sanctuary from 4-6 PM. The first one will be Sunday Nov 25. The next one will be Dec 23.  Questions?  Contact Hardin Rathgeber

SOCIAL JUSTICE
    For December, we will again be supporting the AIDS Holiday project.  Look for the holiday tree in the foyer that will help provide gifts for a needy family that is affected by AIDS.

PSG MEETINGS   

    We are a pagan study group that meets every Tuesday and 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 Lauren Talley at evansvillepsg@hotmail.com or call if you have any questions (see calendar for specific times). Note - we will not be meeting on the last Tuesday this month, the 25th, due to the holidays.

The Pagan Study Group Presents...Yule!!
   As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, we settle in for the winter and look forward to lighter and warmer days to come, while acknowledging this needed time for nature's (and hopefully our) rest.  Come join us in honoring this time as well as welcoming the sun back from its rest.  It may be the shortest day and longest night of the year, but the God of nature, embodied in the sun, will begin to gain back his strength at this time as the days get a little longer, and eventually a little warmer from now until Midsummer.  It's a time of hope and celebration amidst the dark and cold!  Everyone, from friends and members to the public, is welcome (so bring a friend!).  Our Yule ritual will take place on Sat., Dec. 22, at 7pm sharp.  Please R.S.V.P. by Dec. 17 to evansvillepsg@hotmail.com or call with the number of adults and children under 12 who will be attending.  You do not have to be pagan to attend this ritual.  Questions?  Ask Lauren Talley in church or email or call her using the above contact info.  Blessed be!

CAJE Update

CAJE (Congregations Acting for Justice and Empowerment) is growing!   With sixteen congregations now covenanted, CAJE literally now represents thousands of area residents, and has the clout to achieve  what in the beginning were only dreams. Not only that, as the recent CAJE Assembly proved, CAJE has learned to plan ahead. On hand for the Nov. 15 assembly were UU members Geroge Klinger, Tom Moor, Mark Rigney, Teri Rockwood, John Schaeffer, and Mary Jane Steele, and we are pleased to announce that the 2008 annual CAJE action has already been scheduled for Thursday, April 10. Please mark your calendars now! We have a strong history of "turning out the church," to use Tom's phrase, and we hope to continue that commitment as CAJE asks Mayor Weinzapfel and the city council to budget two million dollars to address shortfalls in low-income housing. We can put a dent in the area's homeless problem, and this begins with insuring that even low-wage workers have a decent place to live. In return for a couple of hours of your time once per year, we can make that dent a reality.

NEWSLETTERS

Would you like to receive the UUCE newsletter by email?  Has your email or home address recently changed?  Are you currently not receiving your newsletter at all?  Or are you enjoying duplicate copies?  Are you a church member who is not receiving the UU World magazine?  Do you have other address issues that need to be, well, addressed?  Contact Tina Grant by phone or tinagrant@sigecom.net

POTLUCK

    Our next potluck will be on December 23, 2007.  Come join your fellow UU’s for good food and good conversation!

HEARTLAND DISTRICT EVENTS

-February 2-3, 2008  Cincinnati, Ohio
CONfetti - a Junior High Youth Conference, for 6-9th graders.
-February 28-29, March 1, 2008  Beech Grove, Indiana
-Teacher Development Renaissance Model
 April 4-6, 2008  Louisville, Kentucky
Annual Meeting and Spring Conference  "Sustainable Stewardship".

     All of these events can be of great benefit to members of our congregation - and remember that financial aid is available from the Yael Hafner Fund.

Go to www.heartlanduu.org for more information about these opportunities

YOUR SKILLS AND GIFTS ARE NEEDED

    Are you looking for an opportunity to connect with others in the church, use your skills to minister to the needs of this church community, and learn new skills?

    Volunteers are the lifeblood of our congregation. They fill our committees, lead our small groups, cut the grass, and run our fund drives. A constant stream of them flows through all aspects of church life.

    We need you.  The Membership and Stewardship Committees are especially in need of volunteers to join them.  To learn more about this opportunity, please contact Teri Rockwood, Transition Team Member (teri.rockwood@gmail.com or by phone).

Talking Back

    At the last Board meeting, we talked about the service on Burma, and how much folks enjoyed the opportunity to get their coffee and gather back in the sanctuary to discuss the issue more.  We would like to encourage folks to continue this after other services.  Then the folks who want a deeper discussion, and who have time for it that day can have a chance to do that, and those who have to leave to get to work, or a kid’s ballgame, or dinner with their mom, can do so without disturbing the discussion.  We all value the time with each other, and the ideas shared between us, so lets give it a try for the rest of the year – for further discussion of the service, get your coffee, say hello to folks in the lobby, then come back in the sanctuary for more questions, comments, and ideas about the topic of the day.

Nancy Higgs
UUCE Board

HELP UUCE STAND OUT   

On the first of November, I sent the following letter to our UUCE members and friends.  I’m happy to report that we are already receiving substantial pledge commitments to make this effort a success!  However, we need YOU to join us.  All special pledge amounts, large or small, are welcome. We need your special incentive pledge made by the end of December and all money is due by the end of June 2008.   Thank you.

Dear Members and Friends,

    Thanks to the generosity of one of our church members, I have exciting news to share with you concerning our Settled Minister search process. 

    As you may know, the UUA sets Fair Compensation guidelines to help congregations determine the appropriate salary to pay UU ministers.   The guidelines take into account geographical differences in cost of living, as well as differences in church size and job responsibilities.  With this, a salary range table is generated each year along with the suggestion that congregations pay at the salary midpoint.

    Something you may not know is that the more a congregation is willing and able to pay, the more candidates the UUA Transitions office makes available to us to interview.  Our church, the UUCE, has only been able to pay at the lower end of the salary range.  Because of this, we see a limited number of candidates.

    Now the good news!  To help increase the pool of candidates for our Settled Minister search, and to help increase our likelihood of getting the right minister to say “yes” when we do make an offer, Joel Haffner has presented us with a $5,000 challenge.  He will donate $1 for every $2 raised, up to his $5,000 maximum.  This means we have the opportunity to raise as much as $15,000 to help us call the right Settled Minister!

    We will package a salary offer that includes a signing bonus and, based on how much money is raised, perhaps also an annual bonus for the next year or two.  This will make the UUCE really STAND OUT and make a positive impact in our minister search.

    We must move quickly to be able to highlight the incentive in our Congregational Record in time to attract additional candidates.  The special fund-raising campaign starts NOW!

With Enthusiastic Gratitude,
Dave Granholm
UUCE President of the Board