UUCSJS Midweek Message

• Minister's Midweek Meditation
• Announcements
• Notes From the Board
• This Sunday
• Last Sunday
• Events This Week
• Connect to Our Faith

Rev. Dawn is available for pastoral care appointments Wednesday through Friday 10 am to 3 pm. Please email minister@uucsjs.org to schedule an appointment.

Contact a member of the Caring Team

Team members can provide you with support during/after an illness, a death in the family, or other loss or hardship. They can find you resources, run errands, or provide meals in time of need.

Reach out to:

• Tracey Catino at (609) 674-8721 email: Traceysnaps@msn.com
• Denise O'Meara at (610) 316-7495 email: denome53@gmail.com
• Helen Utts at (609) 338-3391 email: HelenUtts@aol.com
• MaryLou DeMaria-Berhang at (201) 247-5635 email: MLberhang@gmail.com
• Tony Zitelli at (201) 463-2800 email: happy85a@aol.com

The Atlantic County Highway Department will begin road widening and resurfacing activities on Pomona Road. For the next 30 days, Pomona Road will be closed to through traffic from Duerer Street to the Garden State Parkway.

Please see the following alternate routes and map for ways to access our building during this time.

1. Exit the Parkway at exit 41 (North or South) to Jim Leeds Road (west) going toward Stockton, take the right fork near the pizza place (Duerer Rd), pass Pomona Rd and turn right on Zurich to the end of Zurich which is a T intersection with Liebig. Turn right on Liebig. UU center on the left. (This path indicated in light purple on the map.)
2. Exit the Parkway at exit 44 turn right from Pomona Rd onto Moss Mill Road (toward Egg Harbor City), Take a left on Odessa (yellow and dark purple line) Take a left on Liebig, UU center is on the left.
3. Enter Stockton's campus from Jim Leeds Road. Park in the parking lot across the street from the UU center and carefully walk across the street. (Feasibility depends on actual construction activity).

To have your announcement placed in the Midweek Message, please send an email to admin@uucsjs.org by Noon on Wednesday.

Planning a special event? The Communications Team can help. Visit https://uucsjs.breezechms.com/form/42685e for more information.

September Book Club will be Friday, September 17th at 7:00 pm on ZOOM. (An in person meeting could be added.)

DEACON KING KONG by James McBride

Deacon King Kong, Cuffy “Sportcoat” Lambkin is a 71-year-old deacon for a church in the projects. One day, he gets trashed and goes to the neighborhood plaza and shoots Deems Clemens, a ruthless 19-year-old local drug dealer. Sixteen people see the shooting, but no one talks. The author explores the aftermath of the shooting and the effect on both the people involved and others around them in this oft-neglected neighborhood in South Brooklyn.

Terri Ballas will be leading the discussion.

October's selection is UNDER THE UDALA TREE by Chinela Okparanta

To view the list of all titles scheduled for the upcoming year click here:

Book Club Picks 2021-22

Questions: morellb@msn.com

Our new music director, Gina Roché, is sharing her professional expertise with us to help with the acquisition of a new AV system for our sanctuary. Funds from the "Wake Now Our Vision" campaign will support the desired improvements. Given the large amount of money and time and the significance of these improvements, we would love to have a few people willing to work with us. Please contact Barbara Miller or email admin@uucsjs.org if you would like to be part of this exciting endeavor.

Help raise money to support UUCSJS! Here's how:

1. Purchase a shopping pass for $5 each

2. Shop at Boscovs (in-store only) on October 20th and receive 25% off your purchase

3. UUCSJS receives all funds from purchased shopping passes!

Passes are available by emailing Nick Bonar (or admin@uucsjs.org) and will be available at in-person services beginning Septmeber 12, 2021.

Rev Dawn is working on a fundraising idea to raffle off a NEW CAR and make money for the congregation at the same time.

If you're interested in fundraising, have a background in marketing, or are looking to do outreach for the UUCSJS, get in touch with Rev. Dawn at minister@uucsjs.org to join the team putting together this amazing project!

Fall Service Auction

Deb Dagavarian and Heidi Jannsch, who have been key organizers of our annual Service Auction, will be unable to coordinate the event this year. The Auction is the most important fundraiser of the year. UUCSJS needs it.

If you can help, please, contact Deb Dagavarian*. She is willing to provide advice and counsel even as she recovers from surgery.

Minister’s Performance Review

The board postponed completion of the Rev. Dawn’s performance review (We do one every year.) until October. If you have information that ought to be included in this review, share it with me or Dennis Bohn*, chair of the Committee on Ministry.

Audio / Visual Improvements

Gina Roche’ provided the Board with a first-cut design and estimate of these improvements. Not surprisingly, the cost exceeded the Board’s expectations. The Board and congregation must seriously think about what we want and how to pay for it. If you want to help us find a solution, let me know.

Unemployed Workers United

The UUs for Economic Justice asks you to join them at a Zoom forum at 8 PM this Thursday, August 26th, to learn more about

• History of unions in the US
• Immigrant rights connected to worker rights
• Racial justice at the center of worker rights
• Unemployed Workers Union

The speaker is Neidi Dominguez, the Executive Director of Unemployed Workers United (UWU), a movement project to organize precarious and jobless workers.

* If you don’t have a copy of the UUCSJS directory, contact admin@uucsjs.org.

Kit Marlowe,

UUCSJS Board President

Co-ordinated by Deb Dagavarian and presented by the Margaret Circle.

Stories from 19th and 20th century women of color, in their own words.

Sunday at 10 am at www.tinyurl.com/uucsjszoom or call in to (929)436-2866 then enter: 2246776604#, 0#, 306591#.

Make sure to update your Zoom software before Sunday morning so you aren't late to church!

Join us on September 5th for "Musical Transitions" presented on Zoom by our outgoing and incoming music directors, Barbara Miller and Gina Roche.

And on September 12th for "Return and Celebrate!" our annual ingathering water ceremony and return to in-person worship services at UUCSJS.

Information on upcoming services can be found HERE.

If you were unable to join us, you can watch the video of last week's service below.

Click on the graphic below or visit the calendar at uucsjs.org for more information on events and meetings.

CLICK HERE to reserve the Zoom Room or to add your event to the calendar.

Here you will find opportunities to connect with our larger faith and other UU's from outside our congregation.

Click on the images for more information.

UU faith action recognizes the importance of five crucial social action causes.

• criminal justice
• environmental justice
• gun violence prevention
• immigration justice
• reproductive justice

All are actually state-level committees. The interesting thing is, in the age of zoom, we can be on any of these task forces. All you have to do is figure out which one appeals to you the most, go to UUfaithaction.org, learn the name of a chair or co-chair of the task force which interests you, and then email the chair or co-chair about your desire to be on the task force. It is as simple as that. It’s an opportunity to learn, form alliances with other groups, and bring back information to us. They meet once a month. I have met some task force members. They lobby, write regulations, and attend vigils such as the one held at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women. Evidently, political pressure does work. I read governor Murphy has shut down the facility. So with some effort, change is possible. Let me know if you are interested.

-Janet Longo

Sunday Services 10 am on Zoom at tinyurl.com/uucsjszoom

Email: admin@uucsjs.org
Website: www.uucsjs.org
Location: 75 S Pomona Rd, Egg Harbor City, NJ, USA
Phone: (609) 965-9400
Facebook: facebook.com/uucsjs
Twitter: @UUCSJS