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• Upcoming Sunday Services
• Stewardship
• Notes From the Board
• Announcements
• Events This Week
• Connect to the Monthly Theme
• Connect to Our Faith
• Last Sunday
• Caring Team

A Renewable Universalism for the 21st Century

Rev Dr Richard Speck

The Soul Matters theme for April is resistance. Our Universalist forebearers resisted the tragic conflicts of their days with ways of serving humanity in a loving way. Given our world today, what can we learn and apply in our lives the lessons from the past. We’ll have a little history as well as a call to new efforts to make the world more fair.

BIO: The Reverend Doctor Richard Speck is the retired District Executive for the Joseph Priestley District (JPD) of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. He was named Minister Emeritus in 2019. Previously, he served nine years as minister to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Beach, FL, before coming to the JPD in 2000 as Acting District Executive. In his last two years in Florida he also served as the music director for the church. He graduated from Meadville/Lombard Theological School with a Doctorate in Ministry in 1990. He was hired as the regular District Executive in 2001. He served fourteen years as DE before retiring from full time ministry in 2014.

Richard continues to be active in social justice programs like the Black Lives Matters and The Coalition to Dismantle the New Jim Crow in Delaware. He is married to Janet Tillman and resides in Wilmington, DE. He enjoys making music, flying his own airplane, and creating stained glass art. Janet and Richard have two cats.

PLEASE NOTE: This service will be in person at UUCSJS and streamed live on our Facebook page. A recording will be available later in the day on our YouTube Channel.

*Masks are currently optional at UUCSJS.

March 5 to April 16, 2023

(April 19th Final Update)

Our main stewardship drive has been successfully completed. We have received $121,240 in financial commitments (pledges) from 45 families in support of next year’s budget, or 90% of our original goal. For the next month we will be developing an annual budget based on these commitments. Members will vote to approve the budget at our annual congregational meeting June 11, 2023. If you have not yet pledged, you can still complete your pledge electronically using this link, pick up a card on Sunday or email your pledge to Karen York or Paul Utts. Each and every pledge is important because it is the collective generosity of our community that makes UUCSJS possible! Thank you for your financial support.

~ Karen York, Stewardship Chair

We would like to thank the congregation for their recent contribution to the ESWA. We raised a little over $500 for this very worthy organization. Thanks to all that contributed!

Marty Quish

President, UUCSJS Board of Trustees

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

April 30th is rapidly approaching and we are reaching out to see if we like the Sunday service at 11am or if a change needs to be made.

When we sent our survey out at the beginning of the year asking about changing the service time we agreed that we would change the time temporarily to 11:00 am until April 30th.

We said we would re-visit the service time around the end of April and see if we wanted to make it permanent. Although the board can make this decision on it’s own we wanted to reach out and take the temperature of the congregation again. We will do another survey on Breeze to see if we want to keep the service time at 11am, go back to 10 am or compromise and go to a 10:30 start time. The survey will run for the next two weeks.

Click HERE or on the button below to complete the survey.

In fellowship,

Marty Quish

President, UUCSJS Board of Trustees

Join the UUCSJS Faith Action Environmental Justice task force after service on April 23rd for a viewing of "Nature's Best Hope," a film featuring Doug Tallamy.

Learn how our own backyards can be nature's best hope for helping to preserve our precious wildlife - and the planet for future generations. A Q&A led by Jesse Connor, Native Plant and Sustainability Activist and UUCSJS member, will follow this inspiring film.

Sunday May 7th right after service.

Folks needed to help with spring cleaning. Dusting, windows, some ladder work, vacuuming, cobweb busting. light yard work. There will be no coffee hour that week. Folks that are traveling and others be sure to eat a hearty breakfast or bring something with you for after service. Folks can gather outside for conversation, etc. Dust will be flying and brooms will be swinging! Lunch will be provided for volunteers. Please let Richard know if anyone attending has special dietary concerns (in private if you wish.)

There are unsold spots from the Service Auction that was held last November for events that occur in May and June.

Wine Tasting at the Utts home - May 6, Saturday, in Northfield. This is actually a multi -course dinner, with several wines to sample with each course. This has become a very popular annual event. There are 6 spots left. Cost, $40 per person.

Welcoming Spring Wildflowers - May 7, Sunday after the service until 2:30. This will be at the home of Jack and Jesse Connor, in Port Republic. The Connors have a garden that has only native plants and attracts many pollinators and birds. It is a delightful place. Scones and home roasted coffee and tea will be served. There are 14 spaces remaining. Cost is $20 per person.

Jewelry Workshop - May 13, 1:00 Saturday, at the home of Debbi Dagavarian in Little Egg Harbor.

She will provide the materials and teach you how to make simple jewelry using wire findings and glass or gemstone beads. Two spots remaining – cost $40 per person.

Breakfast in the Garden - May 20, 10:30 am at the home of Janet Longo in Port Republic. This will be a bountiful breakfast buffet in the pleasant company of friends and in her lovely garden. There are 3 spots remaining. Cost is $25 per person.

Landscaping for Pollinators Workshop - June 24 Saturday 10:00 – 12:00 at the home of Jack and Jesse Connor in Port Republic - You will get a tour of the garden, a chance to identify butterflies, moths and other pollinators, and get practical information about how to attract pollinators in your back yard. 14 spots are remaining. Cost is $15 per adult and $5.00 per child.

How to purchase auction spots:

• In person at the service - Sign your name on the original auction sign-up sheets that will be on a table in the back of the sanctuary.
• To pay for it, take an envelope from the table, affix a label on it that identifies the event, put your name on the envelop, and place a check or cash inside. Give this to Marsha Hannah before she leaves after the service or put it in the collection basket.
• Or to pay, you can go to our website, click the yellow donation button, and pay from there. Select "2022 Auction” in the first dropdown menu. But first, reserve your place by putting your name on the signup sheet.

Did you know nearly 7,000,000 adult Americans are in jail or prison, or are on parole or probation, while more than 40,000 young people are wasting away in juvenile detention?

Now is the time to obtain your copy of Defunding Fear by Zach Norris, and possibly start reading. However, the discussion concerning this book will not take place until the third Sunday in June after the service. This is a UU common read. Jess has ordered three copies which can be borrowed.

Do you love the arrangements you see on the chalice table each Sunday? Are you feeling creative? Sign up to bring floral or other arrangement for our chalice table!

Let Colby know ahead of time or text 609-442-0967 to schedule your arrangements.

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.

APRIL BOOK CLUB PICK:

THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig

Between life and death there is a library. When Nora Seed finds herself there, she has a chance to make things right. Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret. She feels that she has let everyone down, including herself. But things are about to change.

We will be meeting Friday, April 21 at 7:00 pm on ZOOM (www.tinyurl.com/uucsjszoom) .

All are welcome and encouraged to attend

May selection is: FRESH WATER FOR FLOWERS by Valerie Perrin

What's an individual to do about the massive, systemic problem of climate change? Recycle? Compost? Give up meat or flying or plastic straws? Protest in the streets?

In honor of Earth Day (April 22, 2023) check out this podcast from The New York Times.

Listen HERE

To parse which personal actions matter and which don’t,Jane Coaston is joined by the climate activist and author Genevieve Guenther, who argues that for the wealthier citizens of the world, there are real steps that can be taken right away to help fight the current and impending climate catastrophes. Guenther lists them according to one’s ability, time and resources.

Also joining the debate is the author of “The Uninhabitable Earth,” David Wallace-Wells, who argues that while individual behavior is a good start, it won’t bring the change needed; only large-scale political action will save us. In this episode, Guenther and Wallace-Wells disagree about extinction and blame, but they agree that when individual political pressure builds into an unignorable movement, once-impossible-to-imagine solutions will be the key to saving our future.

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

Click on the images for more information.

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
• Helen Utts at (609) 338-3391 email: HelenUtts@aol.com
• Tony Zitelli at (201) 463-2800 email: happy85a@aol.com
• Barbara Morell at (215) 805-7599 email: morellb@msn.com
• Janet Longo at (609) 748-8608 email: jilportnj@comcast.net

Caring Team is looking for members who are willing to attend monthly Zoom meetings and help out when congregants are sick or suffering from hardships. Please contact Tracey Catino if you can join our confidential group.

Sunday Services 11 am in person and livestreamed on Facebook.

Email: admin@uucsjs.org
Website: www.uucsjs.org
Location: 75 S Pomona Rd, Egg Harbor City, NJ, USA

Mailing Address: PO Box 853, Pomona NJ 08240
Phone: (609) 965-9400
Facebook: facebook.com/uucsjs
Twitter: @UUCSJS