Parental Leave Plan

Rev. Kim Wildszewski

As many of you know, Tara and I will be welcoming our third child in early May. In anticipation of my leave, the Board of Trustees, Personnel and Finance Committees have approved hiring a part time Contract Minister to cover the 12 weeks of worship and pastoral care during that time.

We hope to conclude our search by the end of March and introduce this minister to you all shortly thereafter. All candidates will first be interviewed by a team of 5 lay leaders representing the Board, Personnel, Worship Associates and Pastoral Care: Sue Saddlemire, Scott Drew, Scott Cullen and Denny Rogers, respectively. Following the first interview and recommendation, the candidates will be interviewed by the staff: Robin Pugh, Caryl Tipton, Susan Irgang and myself. While I have the authority and responsibility to make this decision, the minister will be hired through a collaboration of these voices and representations.

I am sharing with you the job description, so you have a sense of how I introduce our congregation to our candidates, and to make clear what this person’s responsibilities are (and what they are not) during this time.

On a personal note, I want to express my gratitude for all of you and for the leadership of this congregation who have unflinchingly supported my family and me this year. It was already a collectively challenging and traumatic year; you have honored my personal loss and need for life and love in ways that could never be erased from my heart.

With care and gratitude,
Rev. Kim 

A Q & A with Robin Pugh about Religious Education during COVID

Robin Pugh, Director of Lifespan Faith Engagement

This month, CrossCurrents asked Director of Lifespan Faith Engagement, Robin Pugh, a few questions about Religious Education during the pandemic. Here’s what we learned.

Q: Can you describe the Religious Education (RE) programs for our children and young teens during this virtual time?

A: We are not seeing many families during our Sunday worship, but they are engaged with UUCWC virtually at other times. Rev. Kim and I are working collaboratively to create two programs in place of RE classes: Family Chalice Circles and “Tending the Flame”, a once a month UU Parenting class led by Rev. Kim and me based on a book of the same name. We are using this virtual church year to offer families a different and complimentary church experience to when we meet physically.

Family Chalice Circles are pods of two or three families with children of similar ages. They meet once or twice a month to do multigenerational UU learning and practice together. Rev. Kim and I are co-writing the curriculum. Some of the topics have been: the home chalice; the home covenant; healing; power; and the golden rule vs. the platinum rule.

For parents, Rev. Kim and I are co-teaching and writing a yearlong UU parenting class called “Tending the Flame”. I’ve been wanting to implement a UU parenting class for years, but it has taken the pandemic to bring it to fruition. This year, I have the time and parents have made the time because we are not doing in person RE. The class offers a much-needed opportunity for parents to meet and connect with each other (without their kids in tow), important tools for practicing UU at home, and time to relate to Rev. Kim as a parent and minister. More Q & A here…

UUCWC’s Mission:  The One We Give To Ourselves

Jamie Evanini, Trustee, Board of Trustees

I’ve been thinking of the lines of a song we listened to at February 24th’s Church Council meeting, a gathering of representatives from all of UUCWC’s committees and ministries and any other interested members and friends:

“This joy that I have, the world didn’t give it to me. The world didn’t give it, the world can’t take it away.” (Listen to the song here.) 

After updates about the work of our staff, committees and ministries, Rev. Kim asked us to think about the question, “What couldn’t be taken away this year?” What struck me in listening to each part of the night’s agenda was that the mission of UUCWC and the relationships that make up our congregation are still here, and, despite all we have faced in the last year, hanging in there quite well! The world didn’t give us our mission (“Create Community. Celebrate Life. Change the World.”) — we gave it to ourselves. The world didn’t build our relationships — we built those ourselves. No matter what is going on in the world, our Unitarian Universalist mission and our relationships are here, and they have work to do, whether times are good or tough, just or unjust. 

With our mission and relationships as our compass, we have been able to navigate one uncertain situation after another. And often, our dynamic responses lead to…things turning out really well! We heard many examples of this at Wednesday’s Council meeting. Read more here…

2021 Spring Auction – Success Starts With Your Contributions

Marcia Wittmann, Auction Committee

Our popular Spring Auction, UUCWC’s biggest fundraiser of the year, accounts for a good portion of our operational budget. This year, it is projected to be about 7%. Best of all, half of the Auction proceeds over the budgeted amount will be donated to an organization selected by UUCWC’s Council for Faith in Action. And now, you can contribute toward this year’s auction to ensure its success.

With gatherings still limited due to the pandemic, Auction 2021 “Together Wherever We Are” will be an online virtual event, which will be open for bidding Saturday, May 1, through Saturday, May 8. Auction items include many opportunities to get to know one another, enjoying food, fun and fellowship in a variety of settings.

If you’re a new member or haven’t participated in the past, you may not be aware of all the ways you can contribute. Learn more here … 

Council for Faith in Action and Auction Announce Donation Recipient for 2021

Holly Bussey, Council for Faith in Action

For the third year, UUCWC’s Council for Faith in Action (CFA), in conjunction with the Auction Committee, is pleased to announce that 50% of any surplus funds raised in this year’s auction (beyond the budgeted auction amount) will go to Bucks County Opportunity Council (BCOC).

BCOC’s goal is to connect residents with resources to thrive. UUCWC is focusing on food insecurity. Specifically, the Opportunity Council’s Food Program is Bucks County’s lead food agency for families in need. The network includes over 60 providers focused on meeting the food and nutrition needs of low-income households in Bucks County and is committed to a set of operating principles that ensure quality service and accountability. Read more …

General Assembly Registration Is Open

Holly Bussey, Liaison, UUCWC Denominational Affairs

“Circle Round Justice, Healing, Courage” is the theme for the TOTALLY VIRTUAL UUA General Assembly (GA) June 23-27, 2021.

There will be something for everyone: music, youth programs, seminars on a wide variety of speakers, guest speakers and terrific lectures. Let’s not forget the services, sermons and justice initiatives.

Please be aware if you have young people in your family, there’s a place for them too at GA. The 2021 Youth and YA@GA staff teams have been hired by the UUA. Look forward to public introductions from the teams in early March! The youth and young adult leaders will be training in the spring in emergent facilitation, hoping to help craft spaces for young UUs that are responsive, engaging, and fun!  Read more and register here…

Important Reminders:

Information on joining the virtual services will be emailed to you the day prior to the service.

Spring Auction:  May 1-8, online

Our beloved Director of Music Ministry, Caryl Tipton, plans to retire at the end of  June, 2022.  There will be time for celebration and reminiscence of Caryl’s many years with UUCWC over the next year. Read Caryl’s Announcement here.

2021 Endowment Grant Applications Available

The Endowment Committee has begun its annual grant application process. Due to gains in our investments, the Committee is able to offer Endowment Grants which are used to benefit UUCWC and support at least one of the 8 UU Principles. The projects must begin during the 2021-2022 church year and be items that would not be included in the regular church budget.

Examples of one-time projects that could be considered for funding include, but are not limited to, such activities as sending a committee member to a relevant training seminar, purchasing special equipment (not replacement), or hiring a speaker. The grant application can be found here and is due by 12 noon on Sunday March 14. Please send it electronically to endowment@uucwc.org.

Funds are limited and the Endowment Committee will not be able to fund everyone’s request. In an effort to fund more than one project, the Committee may award partial grants to multiple projects. The Committee expects to notify applicants by the end of March. Please direct any questions to endowment@uucwc.org.  

-The Endowment Committee

UUCWC’s mission to Create Community, Celebrate Life and Change the World depends on each of us.  Remember to make your pledge for the 2021-2022 fiscal year by March 31, 2021, using the pledge form received via mail or online.

Questions? Contact: stewardship@uucwc.org.

Loaves and Fishes 2021: A Whole New Way!

We can’t be together in the Crossings Room or at St. Mary’s Cathedral with volunteers from UU Princeton, but we can still ensure that the homeless and working poor families in Trenton have a home-cooked, take-out meal on Saturday and bagged lunches for a Sunday meal.

We’ll need you to make the sandwiches and brownies at home and drop them off at sites in PA or NJ. We’ll also need cooks to prepare chicken pieces for the main meal. Check the UUCWC website for information.

Look for more details and a Sign-Up Genius link coming soon.

Thank you for your support and generosity as UUCWC and UUCP continues this social action tradition.

Read UU World, the magazine of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Learn more about the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), the central organization for UU churches, here.