|
In this continuing time of Covid, we are still doing church, continuing to seek to Create Community, Celebrate Life, Change the World. We are presently in MEDIUM RISK STATUS: UUCWC’s church building is open, in accordance with our latest Regathering Guidelines.
|
|
Welcome to CrossCurrents! Your comments are welcome at crosscurrents@uucwc.org.
In this issue:
Our Principles and Purposes Are a Living Tradition, by Robin Pugh,
Director of Lifespan Faith Engagement
Moving Towards Our Vision, by Jamie Evanini, Vice President, UUCWC Board of Trustees
Top Ten Reasons to Participate in UUCWC’s 2022 Auction Online, by Barbara Drew,
Co-chair, Auction Committee
Auction Proceeds Help “To Change The World”, by Holly Bussey, Faith Expression Funding Team
Capital Campaign Update – March 2022, by Jayme Trott, Co-chair, Capital Campaign
Register Now for General Assembly 2022, June 22-26 in Portland Oregon,
by Holly Bussey, Liaison, Denominational Affairs
Nourishment Through Congregational Engagement, by Nathalie Edmond,
Co-chair, Congregational Engagement
The Right Relations Committee and Creating Covenants, by Michelle Hunt, Co-chair, Right Relations
Earth Ministry Dissects Bill Gates’ Book on Climate Change, by the Earth Ministry Team
Covid’s Unlikely Gift: Heartfelt Music and Poetry, by the CrossCurrents Team
|
|
|
|
Our Principles and Purposes Are a Living Tradition
Robin Pugh, Director of Lifespan Faith Engagement
Did you know that our denomination is currently reviewing the by-laws that contain the UU principles?
When the Universalist Church of America and the American Unitarian Association merged in 1961 to form the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), the merged Association dropped its formal identification as a Christian denomination. The UUA decided that rather than having a creed, the focus would be on shared values and principles and what those shared values and principles call Unitarian Universalists (UU’s) to do in the world.
UU values and principles are articulated in Article 2 of the UUA bylaws. Article II includes: UU Principles & Sources; the Purpose of the UUA; an Inclusion Clause; and a Freedom of Belief Statement.
For some religious institutions, the equivalent of Article II would be regarded as a permanent statement of belief. Ours, however, is a Living Tradition. We commit ourselves to regularly revisiting our Principles and Purposes to ensure that we are relevant, that as we grow in understanding, our Principles and Purposes grow, too.
Article II was last reviewed 15 years ago. The UUA wants to ensure that our Principles are living into the Unitarian Universalism of the future and that our congregations and institutions are “ a relevant and powerful force for spiritual and moral growth, healing, and justice.”
The charge to the Article II Study Commission states:
The new Principles and Purposes should guide us in the transformation of ourselves, our communities and our faith into active networks of collective care, restoration, and justice. The Principles and Purposes should be a living document that challenges Unitarian Universalists to place the liberation, in all its dimensions, of all, at the center of our lives. Read more …
|
|
 Moving Towards Our Vision
Jamie Evanini, Vice President, UUCWC Board of Trustees
Our Spring Council Meeting, which serves as an opportunity for committee leaders, staff, and interested members to gather and share about their work, was held this past Tuesday evening, March 1st. For the first time, we conducted a multi-platform Council Meeting, with some participants attending on Zoom and others attending in-person in one of UUCWC’s classrooms. A big thank you to everyone for your patience and participation as we learn how to conduct smaller multi-platform events like this!
It has been a challenging few years, and we have had to pause, experiment and rethink so many aspects of our congregational life. The result of all this change has led to a new vision for UUCWC – a multi-platform approach to services and church life; a deeper engagement with Unitarian Universalism through small groups, service and covenanting; and a broader staff capable of meeting the needs of a growing congregation.
We are moving closer and closer to this new vision, and the updates we heard at Tuesday’s Council Meeting from a variety of UUCWC committees and ministries gave ample evidence of this. For those who were not at the meeting, look here for a quick summary of what was shared.
|
|
 Top Ten Reasons to Parcipate in UUCWC’s 2022 Auction Online
Barbara Drew, Co-chair, Auction Committee
We invite you to explore the many reasons to contribute an item, event, service, craft, or gift card to support our community and participate in the bidding and purchasing during the auction event. Some examples of the items you could bid on and purchase follow our top 10 reasons to Sing into Spring! by joining in the Auction event.
10. Auction offerings are a great way to get to know others and to stay connected! (Spirituality workshops, meals, small social gatherings, recreational and cultural outings, games, skilled services and hand-made items!).
9. It is “better to give than to receive.” Through the spring auction you can give and receive! (Yard clean-up, Handyman services, Custom Foods, New or like-new Indoor Grill and more!) Submit your Contribution form by Sunday, April 3.
8. Auction proceeds support the annual operating budget and help us to support social justice programs after our targeted amount is met. UUCWC’s Council for Faith in Action has designated this year’s recipient as the UrbanPromise Trenton, whose mission is to equip Trenton’s children and young adults with the skills necessary for: Academic Achievement, Life Management, and Spiritual Growth. (More info here and in the article below). Read more Auction top-ten here…
|
|
 Auction Proceeds Help to “Change The World”
Holly Bussey, Faith Expression Funding Team
Our annual auction supports all that we hope to achieve in the coming year. Auction proceeds are a significant source of funding of our annual operating budget. Additionally, when there is a surplus, 50% of those monies are donated to a justice organization.
This year, the Council for Faith In Action (CFA) has selected UrbanPromise Trenton as the 2022 Auction recipient. The organization’s mission is to equip Trenton’s children and young adults with the skills necessary for academic achievement, life management and spiritual growth.
UrbanPromise Trenton believes in the power of opportunity. It provides urban youth and teens with a chance to believe in and build a positive future.
Background: The City of Trenton ranks among the poorest cities in the state and has one of the country’s highest crime rates. Nearly a third of Trenton’s residents live below the poverty level, and the city’s high school graduation rate hovers at 70%, the lowest in the entire state. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Trenton’s population was about 85,000 and nearly 28% were under eighteen. Read more …
|
 Capital Campaign Update – March 2022
Jayme Trott, Co-chair, Capital Campaign
Status: Architectural drawings were provided to MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) engineers in December, but their review was initially delayed by several weeks due to COVID. Since then, we have been informed that due to a backlog of work and personnel shortage, additional delays are likely. We have decided to send the plans for bid with a request for contractors to “design/build” in the necessary changes for MEP using their subcontractors. We anticipate sending the drawings to bidders the first week of March.
The Steering Committee worked with Mary Lou Dahms and Susan Irgang to update the church website to include latest plans and schematics. This is a work in progress, but should give everyone a consistent source for up-to-date information on the project as we move forward.
Timeline: We anticipate being able to select a contractor by mid-late March. Permitting should be completed by end of April, and ground-breaking likely in May 2022. The sanctuary will be accessible throughout construction. Read more …
|
|
Register Now for General Assembly 2022, June 22-26 in Portland, Oregon
Holly Bussey, Liaison, Denominational Affairs
It’s spring and soon Unitarian Universalists (UUs) will be gathering to meet at General Assembly (GA). UUCWC has a long-standing record of having many attend this event of learning, singing, worshipping and doing the work of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA).
In 2022, we will have the option of meeting online or in-person! For those who enjoyed the convenience and accessibility of remote participation, GA will continue to offer virtual attendance with robust programming and enhanced delegate discussion tools. For those who have been missing the physical experience, GA 2022 will also feature face-to-face interactions, hanging banners, a browsable exhibit hall, meals with friends, old and new, local site attractions, and more! Consider attending online or in-person in Portland.
Read more about GA and registration here.
|
|
|
|
Nourishment Through Congregational Engagement
Nathalie Edmond, Co-chair, Congregational Engagement
As we move into spring, we start to plan for the new church year that starts on July 1. Some people may be transitioning out of leadership roles, emerging from pandemic hibernation, and/or wanting to make new connections. Congregational Engagement (formerly known as Nominating) held a couple of nourishing circles (small group discussions) this winter to learn more about the things that were helping people feel connected to church.
Some of the ways we described nourishment are: things that fill you up, lift your spirit, make you happy, energize you, bring you peace, give you purpose, feed your spirit. It was great to hear the ways the multiplatform church experience has allowed some people to be more connected and also hold space for what was missing when people weren’t able to go to church in person. Read more and take the survey here.
|
|
The Right Relations Committee and Creating Covenants
Michelle Hunt, Co-Chair, RRC
We need our faith community to discover who we are and who we aspire to be. Our covenants weave clarity and mutual understanding into our relationships.
Recently, members of the Right Relations Committee (RRC) have come to understand the value of creating covenants using new guidelines. RRC will continue to collaborate with individual committees and ministries to share what we have learned.
Read RRC’s new covenant, here.
|
|
Earth Ministry Dissects Bill Gates Book on Climate Change
Recently, the Earth Ministry Team reviewed Bill Gates’ book “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster” and his view of solutions we have and breakthroughs we need. It was a good platform for discussion over the wintertime. We present a summary with the biggest take-aways of the book: some facts, figures and action plans. All views are those of Bill Gates, with some comments and professional perspective offered by Al Johnson on Gates’ themes concerning agriculture.
The book begins with Gates’ premise that we must get from the alarming production of 51 billion tons of greenhouse gases a year to zero. Yes, zero! The rest of the book explores why we must get to zero and how we can do this.
Read more…
|
|
Covid’s Unlikely Gift: Heartfelt Music and Poetry
What started as a lifeline for connection at the very start of the pandemic has now become an integral part of UUCWC community. The Friday Night Sing Along group celebrated 100 weeks of song and poetry on February 18th.
Each week, the audience is treated to the talents of UUCWC musicians while they sing along at home in Zoom silence. Guest readers share poetry lead by Heather Edwards (and Bay Waltman, earlier in the pandemic). Over 100 weeks, there have been many contributors to these Friday nights and we thank them all.
Greg Pontier sings a tune.
Jim Sanders, Holly Bussey and Nancy Neff sing a love song.
|
|
Read about the UUA’s Justice Work under the banner “Side With Love,” here.
|
|
Read UU World, the magazine of the Unitarian Universalist Association.
|
|
Connect with UU Faith Action, New Jersey’s issues and social justice advocacy voice.
|
|
|
|
|
Unitarian Universalist Church at Washington Crossing
268 Washington Crossing Pennington Road, Titusville NJ 08560
609-737-0515 | uucwc@uucwc.org | www.uucwc.org
|
|
|
|
|
