Fourth Universalist Society in the City of New York

Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt is on sabbatical from January 1 to May 18, 2008. During that time she plans to write, to rest, and to teach on the Leadership Training Team for emerging UU Congregations in East Africa.

• Rosemary’s blog

Here at 4th U we have an exciting Sunday schedule planned for Rev. McNatt’s absence. Here are the remaining events:

March 2: Rev. Dr. Richard Gilbert, Minister Emeritus, First Unitarian Church of Rochester, NY - “Up to our steeples in political campaign 2008”
March 9: Gini Courter, Moderator, Unitarian Universalist Association.
March 16: Rev. Maud Robinson, First Parish, Bedford, MA - “Forget Not Your Powerlessness in Your Days Of Power”
March 23 (Easter Sunday): Rev. Ed Bolella, Affiliated Community Minister
March 30: Rev. Addae Watson, First Universalist Church of Southold, NY
April 6: Rev. Kate Braestrup, Chaplain, Maine Warden Service and author, Here If You Need Me, plus Coffee Hour book signing
April 13: Rev. Abhi Janamanchi, minister, UUs of Clearwater, Florida - “Sharing Ministry”
April 20: Rev. Rebecca Parker, President, Starr King School for the Ministry, and Rita Nakashima Brock, author, Saving Paradise, plus Coffee Hour book signing
April 27: Rev. Meg Barnhouse, NPR Commentator, author and performer (benefit concert at Community Church on April 25)
May 4: Fourth U Coming of Age Service - Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt returns.

Frequently Asked Questions About Rosemary’s Sabbatical

While Rosemary is on sabbatical, life at Fourth U will be just as busy as ever, with worship, adult and children’s eligious education, committee meetings and special events. But our newer members and newcomers ight be confused about how things will proceed, so more seasoned members of the Fourth U community ave put together this guide to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about Rosemary’s sabbatical and about our congregation.

What will Sunday Services be like in Rosemary’s absence?
They’ll be wonderful! We’ll have a chance to hear from leaders in our liberal religious movement, including the President of our association, The Rev. Bill Sinkford, and the Moderator of the UUA, Gini Courter; some of Unitarian Universalism’s very best preachers; and provocative thinkers who will challenge us on issues ranging from religion and science, to living fearlessly, to liberation theology. In addition, we’ll hear fantastic music from Meg Barnhouse and Olympia’s Daughters. We plan to have a great time every Sunday, and we hope you’ll join us!

Who’s in charge around here?
The same people who’ve always been in charge: The Board of Trustees. The Board, along with Rosemary as Chief Executive Officer, has always created policy for Fourth U and conducted the business of the church. While Rosemary is gone, Beth Putnam, assistant to the minister for administration, will take up Rosemary’s role, and work with the board and other committees. Beth’s e-mail address is bputnam@4thu.org.
Still, some of you may have more specific concerns. For example:

If you have a pastoral concern or a pastoral emergency:

Our affiliate minister for pastoral care, the Rev. Jennifer Pader, as well as our affiliate community ministers, the Rev. Edmund Bolella and the Rev. Jill Bowden, will all share pastoral care responsibility on a rotating basis while Rosemary is gone. In addition, either Jennifer, Ed or Jill will be present at each Sunday service and coffee hour throughout the sabbatical period; feel free to touch base with them during those times as well. Contact information for the “on-call” minister will be available each week in all Fourth U communications, including the order of service and church phone messages.

If you are interested in learning more about Unitarian Universalism, about Fourth Universalist, or are considering membership:

Our membership coordinator, Seana Anderson, will be happy to talk with you about our liberal faith, about Fourth U, and about the privileges and responsibilities of membership; look for her each Sunday at the Welcome Table, or email her at seana@4thu.org. Our affiliate ministers, Jill and Ed, are also available to speak with you. Please call or email the church office to schedule an appointment with either one of them: 212-595-1658, ext. 21, or office@4thu.org.

If you have questions or concerns about Fourth U’s Sunday services, the building, or a member of the staff:

Please speak to Beth Putnam, assistant to the minister for administration; Beth can be reached at 646-920-2262 or at bputnam@4thu.org.

If you have news or information about an event to be shared with the Fourth Universalist community:

To ensure that your news or information is distributed, please email your information to our Office Manager at office@4thu.org, our Webmaster, Lois Coleman, at lois.coleman@gmail.com, and our Membership Coordinator, Seana Anderson, at seana@4thu.org. To post an event in our 76th St. sign box, please e-mail Seana with your space request.

The deadline for our weekly email, “What’s New” is Tuesday at noon; the deadline for our order of service is also Tuesday at noon; the deadline for our monthly newsletter, The Landmark, is the 18th of the preceding month. Please be aware that we can’t guarantee repeat listings of every activity or event.

If you are seeking information on rites of passage (child dedications; weddings/services of union; funerals/memorial services):

Members of Fourth Universalist Society may call upon any of our affiliate ministers to preside at these important events. Non-members of the society also may call upon our affiliate ministers for assistance, with fees to be negotiated between themselves and the minister. In addition, the church maintains a list of additional Unitarian Universalist clergy who may be called in the event that Ed, Jill or Jennifer is unavailable; please contact the Office Manager for more information.

If you’re having difficulty with a Fourth U staff member or congregant:

Our Fourth U covenant calls for each one of us to speak directly to the person with whom we have a problem, whether it’s a congregant or a staff member. If direct conversation doesn’t solve the difficulty with a staff member, your next step is to speak to Beth Putnam, who supervises all staff in Rosemary’s absence. If neither of these options proves helpful, please contact a member of the Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC), which helps to facilitate the resolution of conflict when traditional channels of communication have been unsuccessful. Current members of MAC include Bri Matsuoka, chair (briatnyc@gmail.com); Robert Kreisler (rskreisler@msn.com); Craig Waletzko (craigwaletzko@mac.com); and Kimberly Steinhorn (on parental leave).

If I have more questions, whom should I ask?

Feel free to speak to any of us in leadership roles here at Fourth U, but especially Beth Putnam, assistant to the minister for administration; Lois Coleman, president of the Board of Trustees; Jennifer Jackson, vice president of the Board of Trustees (jenncjack@mac.com) or Bri Matsuoka, MAC chair. We look forward to talking with you.