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Email admin@uucsjs.org or call Jess at 609-965-9400 if you need assistance

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

Art as Prayer/Poetry as Meditation

Led by Elinor Mattern

Poet Elinor Mattern will invite those gathered into an experience with poems that touch on the spiritual realm, looking at the fine, or non-existent line, between poems and prayers, experiencing moments when poems cross over into mystery. “Journey far enough into the terrain of language, it seems, and the heart will begin to speak.” - Jane Hirshfield

Bio: Elinor Mattern is a poet, artist, and educator, whose twin joys of poetry and the spiritual path come together in her own writing and in her teaching and speaking. She currently teaches many aspects of writing and poetry on a freelance basis, after retiring from teaching English at Atlantic Cape Community College. She earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and her poems and non-fiction have appeared in numerous journals and newspapers, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, The Boston Globe, Paterson Literary Review, and Tiferet, A Journal of Spiritual Poetry.

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 5th Update)

The programs and services provided by UUCSJS each year are made possible through the generous financial support of our members and friends. Each year we have a season of stewardship to receive advance pledges from members and friends to indicate their anticipated level of financial support. This information assists us in planning our program operating budget in advance. We are currently planning for the budget year beginning July 1, 2023 and ending June 30, 2024. Our stewardship drive has begun and will run from until April 16th . Our Goal for this year is $135,000 in pledges. We currently have $111,660 in financial commitments from 35 families, or 83% of our goal. You can complete your pledge electronically using this link. Pledge cards and additional information is available on Sunday over the next month. If you have any questions about the stewardship process, you may contact me or other members of the Board or Finance committee. Each and every pledge is important because it is the collective generosity of our community that makes UUCSJS possible!

~ Karen York, Stewardship Chair

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

Saturday April 15, 2023 @10:00am

Folks needed to haul and spread mulch. Weather permitting. Bring snacks, beverages, rakes and shovels if you have them.. Dress according to the weather and work level.

See Barbara Morrell, Barbara Miller or Richard Schurig. Leave a contact number in case we have to cancel.

Downstairs Ladies Room

Is currently closed due to toilet issues. This is in the process of being resolved. Please feel free to use the downstairs Men's room. Be mindful to please check for occupied before entering. There is no lock on the outer door.

Blue Jean Sunday

Sunday May 15th 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.)

NOTE: Sunday, April 9th is the last day to sign up for this round of Circle Dinners!

Our second circle dinner of the season is being planned for Saturday, April 22. Signups begin on Sunday, March 19, and will continue through Sunday, April 9.

Circle Dinners are a program where people are assigned to a group of eight, who gather at the home of the person or couple designated as the host. All persons are assigned to bring one of the courses. You may sign up as a couple or as an individual The purpose is to enjoy a good meal in good company, and to get to know each other better. There is more information about these dinners at the signup table. Please come!

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.

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

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.

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.

The Margaret Circle will meet this Thursday at 1:00pm. The topic will be a discussion, led by Jullie Spradlin. It is about the wisdom with managing the tasks in our lives that we have accumulated over our lifetime. With all the years that we represent, this should be a lot, and will make a very interesting discussion. All the women in the congregation are invited to attend.

Sometimes resistance involves bravely picking up a picket sign; other times it asks us to courageously put down our masks and expose who we really are. Sometimes it involves defeating the enemy; other times it’s a matter of noticing that treating them as the enemy defeats us all.

Often the path of resistance asks us to stay in it for the long haul, but just as often it’s about taking that first tiny step. Most of the time it requires us to fight to the bitter end, and yet there are many moments when we need to stop resisting and let go.

Resistance certainly takes the form of speaking the truth to power, but often what the world needs even more is for us to speak the truth in love.

Bottom line: the path of resistance is tricky business and takes multiple, even contradictory, forms.

But beyond this complexity lies the simplicity of Marge Piercy’s words. In all cases, she reminds us, the path of resistance starts when we say “We!” For instance, the power of our picket sign resides in the fact that it hangs alongside those of others. Being who we are usually begins with another loving us for who we are. Both the long haul and our first courageous step are made possible by reaching out to receive a helping hand.

It’s all one big reminder that none of us resist alone.

And here's an article for a little food for thought as you start to think about what this month's worship theme might mean in your life:

What You Resist, Persists — What You Accept, Transforms

https://www.thehappinessdoctor.com/blog/what-youresist-persists-what-you-accept-transforms

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.

Click on the images below to read about these opportunities and many more from the UUA Central East Region.

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