Service Schedule:
January 6          Redemption is Not a Four Letter Word
January 13        Spirituality and Creativity
January 20        What Would MLK, Jr. Do?
January 27        Tao-Te-Ching: The Art of Living

CAROLYN’S COMMENTS
   Thank you for the warmest of welcomes you have given Will and I as we embark on our journey with you for these nine months.  While our dog, Devi, seems to miss her dog door and the freedom that en”tails,” the rest of us, including Sweetie, the cat, are finding our experience here fulfilling and comfortable.

    Some of the feedback I’ve received includes the request (from several people) to return to having questions and responses after the sermon, during the worship service.  Some of my colleagues consider coffee hour the time for this kind of sharing.  However, I’d like to offer an alternative that could give us an opportunity for some good discussions.  Beginning with January 6, when the topic (Redemption) is likely to stir up some responses, let’s gather after the service and share responses and questions.  Get a cup of coffee or tea, and come back into the sanctuary and join me.

    We’re on a journey together with your goals as our primary reason for what we do together.  The search for a called minister is number one on your list right now.  Involved in this search are many steps including sustaining the health of the congregation and creating a space where others feel welcome.  One thing that I want to mention is the importance of nametags.  You’ve heard it before, but I don’t think it can be overstated.  Newcomers wear them, and we appreciate knowing who they are.  Imagine yourself as a “newbie,” and imagine how much more at ease you would be if you didn’t have to work so hard at names.  As the church grows, we can no longer assume that “everybody knows me.”

    If possible, I’d like to begin an after church lunch bunch, which would give us an opportunity to invite guests and newcomers to get to know us immediately.  We would let our visitors know this was happening and extend an invitation to them.   Is anyone interested?  I need to know a reasonably priced place with good food options where we might enjoy gathering.

    Finally, could we get a small choir organized?  I have some names of potential members and Will and I would like to sing.  We might be able to perform once a month.  This is another program that often gets people involved in their church community and can be a congregation building activity.

    These are the things I’m thinking about.  What’s on your mind?  Please let me know.

Carolyn

BOARD OF DIRECTOR’S MEETING

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

SUNDAY SERVICES

January 6 – “Redemption is Not a Four Letter Word”

    “Redemption” is a classic example of a concept that liberal religious people often consign to the round file.  The word has so many meanings that we must decide what kind of redemption we are discarding, along with what kind we seek in our daily lives. 

January 13 – “Spirituality and Creativity”

    Guest speaker: Bill Hemminger with Chad Tew as worship associate.  Spirituality has been a great wellspring for creative activity throughout time. What lessons can we learn about this relationship between the spiritual and the creative that can be useful in our everyday lives? Professor Bill Hemminger from the English Dept at the University of Evansville will be our guest speaker.

January 20 – “What Would MLK, Jr. Do?”

    Our celebrations marking the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. often deal with only his life and death and the differences he made during that time.  If he were alive today, what would he challenge us to do? 

January 27 – “Tao-Te-Ching: The Art of Living”

    The flags hanging in the front of the church for the past several months represent many of the world’s major religions.  The “yin/yang” symbol is familiar to many of us as the symbol of Taoism, both a religion and a philosophical system, which has been highly influential on Buddhism.  This small book represents a kernel of Taoist thought, and gives an introduction to Taoism.

SUNDAY LUNCH BUNCH

    Would you like to participate in a group of churchgoers that meets for lunch on Sunday and invites visitors along for the fellowship?  Our interim minister, Carolyn Brown proposes that we begin a practice that offers guests an opportunity to get to know us and at the same time gives us a chance to deepen our relationships.  Please think of a place where this activity might be a success, someplace with options for all kinds of eaters, but reasonably priced.  Give Carolyn a call, if you have ideas.

FROM THE PREZ…

   When we have our Annual Meeting in May, the board will present to the congregation our budget proposal for 2008-2009.  That budget will include a variety of line items to take care of everything from House & Grounds, to Religious Education, to paying the light bill.  By far, the largest item in our budget will be the investment associated with having a minister.

    Soon we will begin focusing on our Spring pledge drive.  Our membership has proclaimed loud and clear that we want a minister.  It takes money to keep the lights on and it takes money to keep a minister.  Over the next few months, we collectively need to be asking ourselves: “How much do we want it?”  On a personal level, we need to be asking ourselves: “How can I help make this happen?”

    We have some really good things happening at the UU Church of Evansville: 

• We had our best-ever Fall Festival revenue and profit.
• We have a new Interim Minister. 
• Sunday attendance is up. 
• Our Religious Education program is growing and energized.
• The Settled Minister search committee is getting the job done.
• We are concluding a successful Special Incentive fund drive.

    We find ourselves at an interesting juncture.  We are actively searching for a full-time settled minister.  Given our church financial income of last year, if all things stayed the same we couldn’t afford a full-time settled minister for very long.  Fortunately, with our paid-off church buildings and financial reserves, we can easily ride-out an income shortfall for a year (or two).  Last year’s board, with strong majority approval from the congregation, decided to “bet” on positive trends during the 2007-2008 church year.  The trends we are betting on include:  Attendance growth, Membership growth, Pledge growth, Plate (cash) growth, plus cost containment in other areas. 

    I want you to know we are not just “riding it out” with a hope and a prayer, but are engaging new processes and ideas to make positive trends happen.  We have a great church that attracts an average of three new visitors every week. We get more visitors each year than we have members!  Now we have a Greeter process in place to properly welcome and connect with our many visitors.  We have a Membership committee to help visitors along the path from being a visitor to becoming a member. We have begun a Stewardship committee to get a new and exciting focus on stewardship.  We have re-energized our Religious Education program which is a big reason new families join a church.  And last, but not least, we have invested in an experienced Interim Minister, Rev. Carolyn Brown, to help provide the many pastoral aspects that members, both new and old, look for in a church.

    So, you may ask how we are doing.  I’ve asked our Treasurer, David Fentress, to start looking at the detail on the trends.  Yes, we are seeing some positive things, but ultimately this movement will take time.  In May, I don’t know if we will be able to say we can fully fund our minister in 2008-2009 without spending more reserves.  But I do know that we will have a good handle on the various trends, positive or negative, that make up the whole financial picture.  I do know that many good things are currently happening here and I do know that other “congregational life” programs that will help make us more vital are in the works.  Even though I believe the overall trend picture will be positive, for this coming year, as I stated above, we need to ask ourselves “How much do we want it?”  And, more importantly, “How can I help make it happen?”

Dave Granholm

POTLUCK

    Our next potluck will be on January 27, 2008 following the service.  Come join your fellow UU’s for good food and good conversation!

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 phone.  I look forward to hearing from you!

COFFEE

     Place your order for chocolate, cocoa, and coffee. Contact Chris Norrington - cnorrington@hotmail.com or call.  Thanks for your continued support of this project that helps the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.

RE GOALS SETTING MEETING A SUCCESS!!
     Thanks to all who attended the Religious Education Goals Setting Meeting (and pizza party) in December. Those in attendance provided the RE Committee with information to go forward with planning for the remainder of the church year and beyond.
    For those of you who still want to be a part of the Religious Education Program this year, the committee will begin a teacher recruiting campaign beginning in January. We need teachers for the elementary group (grades 2-4) and the junior high group (grades 5-8). Ann Hanat teaches the preschool group (age 4 - grade 1) and Kristie and Bryan Walker teach the senior high/youth group (grades 9-age 18). There will be teacher training scheduled prior to any teaching responsibilities
and on-going assistance provided to teachers by the RE Committee members. Teachers will be asked to sign up for 2 Sundays per month for the remainder of this church year which runs through May (3 Sundays when there is a 5th Sunday in a month). Jan Steinmark provides Social Responsibilities programming for all children and youth on the first
Sunday of each month and Becky McDonald will be providing Ecology programming one Sunday each month. Give it some thought and get in touch with one of the RE Committee members with any questions/concerns you may have. We're open to all enquiries.

The RE Committee
Becky McDonald, Chair
Natasha Goodge
Roy Harris
Jack Carden

 FIRST FRIDAY DRUMMING CIRCLE

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

THIRD FRIDAY DRUMMING CIRCLE

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

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. Questions?  Contact Hardin Rathgeber

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 do hold group celebrations for the fire festivals, solstices, and equinoxes.  Contact Lauren Talley at evansvillepsg@hotmail.com or call if you have any questions (see calendar for specific times).

SINGERS UNITE

    Some of us would like to lift our voices in song once a month or so, and enjoy the fellowship of singing together.  A church choir can be a source of both congregation building and small group relationship building.  With a minimum of effort, there can be a great deal of reward.   Please call Will Ranken if you are interested in singing.  

We send a bouquet of thanks to insuk Granholm for her conscientious leadership Of the Caring committee for so many years.  Her gracious service to our congregation is greatly appreciated by all our members.  Thank you so much insuk!