March 2008
It sounds as if our minister, Rosemary Bray McNatt, is having an amazing time in Kenya. As you probably know, she has been working with the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists as a trainer at a conference in Nairobi for the leaders of emerging congregations in East Africa. I’ve been reading her blog, revrose.com, with great interest, and it is inspiring to read about the courage and the commitment of the Unitarian Universalists she has met in Kenya. The women and men attending the training, she says, “are leading small congregations with big issues. They are sheltering and caring for AIDS orphans, sometimes five and six orphans to a household. They are opening schools for these children in their living rooms.”
Since the conference ended, Rosemary has met some of the people displaced by the terrible post-election humanitarian crisis in Kenya. The work of the emerging Unitarian Universalist congregations has become even more difficult and important. We can hold them in our thoughts and prayers, and we can make a donation through our Unitarian Universalist Service Committee’s disaster relief fund at http://www.uusc.org/programs/support_kenya.html. As Rosemary says, “One of the most bittersweet realities of the African continent is that a gift that we might consider small, even insignificant, can do amazing things here.”
I encourage you to read revrose.com to find out about some of the wonderful people Rosemary has met in her travels; you’ll be inspired by their enthusiasm for the liberating power of Unitarian Universalism.
In peace and love,
Lois Coleman
The Unitarian-Universalist United Nations Office has reserved a block of tickets to the award-winning play, “Oroonoko,” for the Saturday matinée, February 16, at 2:00 PM. “Oroonoko” is a tragic love story depicting the journey from kingship to slavery, rebellion and death. Biyi Bandele, a prolific Nigerian writer, was commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company to adapt Aphra Behn’s 1688 novella, which preserved tales from African slaves emerging from a Dutch slave ship. Playwright Bandele has infused his script with drumming and dance from his Yoruba culture. The UU-UNO has chosen this play in honor of Black History Month and its Ghana program, “Every Child Is Our Child.” Tickets for the event are $65.00 (a $10.00 discount from box office prices), which includes the play and a reception. Don’t miss this special opportunity to see a challenging play and meet the organization’s new executive director and board. For more information, call Sumon at the UU-UNO, 212.986.5165.
Buy a poinsettia and support our fundraising effort. The beautiful poinsettias you see decorating the church this holiday season are part of the project to help us reach our goal of $17,500 this fiscal year. Take one home with you after services on either Sunday, December 23 or Christmas Eve, for either $20 (small) or $30 (large). Or buy one to be donated to the Kateri Home Residence to help make their season bright. You can give your money either to Pam Plate (who will be sitting at the Fourth U Boutique on Sunday) or Seana Anderson. Thank you for your support.
This Sunday, December 2, during the service, we will be honoring our Fourth U Spiritual Dance Group as they conclude seven years of weekly devotion and service to our congregation. Anyone who has witnessed their work can testify to the touching, and/or humorous, spiritual commitment present in every choreography they have shared over the years. Cycles must carry us forward, and the time has come for this cycle of their work to end. This will be the last performance of the group as Joe Williams and the dancers move on into other activities. If you have ever danced with the group, even if it was during last year’s retreat, please come on Thursday night, November 29, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM and rehearse with us one last time, and join us in our benediction dance to the Pachelbel Canon. We will present it on Sunday during the service. If you have enjoyed the Dance Group over the years, please attend this Sunday’s service and show your appreciation for all their years of work.
We did it! WE LIT UP THE NIGHT! Thank you and congratulations to everyone who participated in 4th U’s auction on Saturday night. 125 members, neighbors and friends attended the exciting event where we raised unprecedented funds for our church and for the Coalition for the Homeless. From the sumptuous dinner prepared by Chef Kim Paradis to the elegant music by members of the Stonewall Chorale to James Wesley’s heavenly singing, the evening was perfect. And who could forget Barry Cherwin, our professional auctioneer? He inspired us to open our wallets and helped us raise ample funds for a gorgeous new chalice and decorative wreathe. The total amount raised will be announced soon.
Rev. Jill Bowden will give a Worship Associate Training on Sunday, August 26 at 10:00 AM at Fourth U. For more information, contact Jill at 845-641-4694 or jbowden16@verizon.net.
We are now live with a newly designed, professional website for our rental facility, Landmark on the Park. You can visit it at www.landmarkonthepark.org. Many, many thanks to Vincent Lopez, George Kuhn’s partner, who volunteered to design and build the site for us. Additional thanks go to Alex Glass, our Communications Committee chair for doing all the legwork involved with getting the site set up.
Increasing our short-term rentals in the the Landmark on the Park facility are a crucial component of meeting our budget in the 2007/2008 fiscal year. If you have any leads on companies or people who may be interested in renting the facility for an event, please forward them the link to the website, and give them Darius Lang’s contact information (darius@4thU.org).
If you have feedback about the website, ideas for other ways to do fundraising, or are interested in helping to market 4th U or Landmark on the Park, please contact Liz Wolfe at lwolfe@wintecgroup.com or 646-334-9427.
September 16 and 23, once again we’ll be collecting money for school supplies for the kids at the Regent Family Residence on the Upper West Side. Donations can be in the form of either cash or checks made out to Fourth U with “school supplies” in the memo line. Collections will be made at church on Sunday, September 16 and Sunday, September 23.
