UUCSJS Midweek Message

Click on the "view in your browser" link at the top of this email. Then find the black and white "person icon" in the bottom right corner of your screen. When you click this icon you can choose to increase the font size or select high contrast mode.

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

• Upcoming Sunday Services
• Religious Education
• 2023 Service Auction
• Notes from the Board
• Announcements
• Events This Week
• Last Sunday
• Connect to Our Larger Faith
• Caring Team

Look Out! It's a Moral Panic!

Presented by Michael Cluff

From Mods versus Rockers to Political Correctness to Critical Race Theory, our society leapfrogs from one moral panic to another. How can we identify the difference between a manufactured moral panic and a legitimate concern?

BIO: Michael Cluff has worn many hats in this congregation, including serving on the sound crew, playing guitar, teaching RE and more. He's also president of the South Jersey Humanists.

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.

This Sunday, October 8, 2023 there will be a second collection to support Allies In Caring, a local nonprofit dedicated to leadership, advocacy, and excellence in promoting culturally-responsive, mental health services for diverse populations. You can learn more about this organization by visiting their website at alliesincaring.org.

Welcome to our month of exploring the gifts of heritage!

From Rev. Scott Taylor, Soul Matters-

Be on the lookout, friends. The ghosts are on their way! After all, you can’t talk about heritage without talking about - and encountering - ancestors.

But we’re not talking about relatives here. As Ralph Ellison points out, there’s a big difference between relatives and ancestors. Relatives give us our brown eyes and bowed legs; ancestors bestow a legacy. Relatives are those we tell stories about; ancestors call us to carry stories forward. Relatives live on in our DNA; ancestors live in the whispers of our hearts. Our relatives allowed us to be here; our ancestors tell us why we are here. The difference comes down to values. Values we use to construct not just our stories but ourselves. Ancestors don’t just remind you that they came before; they remind you of those who will come after.

If you would like to dig a little deeper into this month's theme

Books with the theme of heritage

• Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
• Kindred by Octavia Butler
• There There by Tommy Orange
• The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber & David Wengrow

Movies & T.V.

• The Bear
• Harriet
• Coco (family friendly)

Movies and TV on the potential inheritance of A.I.

• Ex Machina
• Three Black Mirror Episodes on A.I.
• Her

Music playlists

On Spotify

On YouTube

Children's RE Learning Lab (during worship)

We will explore what the word heritage means using the metaphor of roots that nourish a tree. And learn how roots give us the gift of courage and wisdom when times get hard.

Children's RE Learning Lab (after worship service)

Science and reason lead us to – and give us the gifts of – wonder, gratitude and curiosity. Join us as we explore what this means as Unitarian Universalists.

Adult Religious Education (after worship service)

We will explore the Unitarian Universalist approach to religion as well as some of the basic theological understandings shared by most Unitarian Universalists. The workshop will also include a discussion of some of our congregation's worship traditions.

Save the Date!

Saturday, November 18, 2023, 6:30 pm

18th Annual UUCSJS Auction

What Can I Donate?

Our 18 th annual Service Auction, an important fundraiser for UUCSJS, will be held on Saturday, November 18 th . It’s a fun evening of fellowship and winning, so mark your calendars now. You’re probably asking yourself at this very moment what you can donate. The possibilities are almost endless. Here are some examples.

Events

The most popular category of donation is Events. You can host a themed dinner either at your home or in the UU Center. Luau anyone? Aloha! French dinner? Mais oui! Sushi and chopsticks? Domo arigato! Fondue party? No double dipping!

Or, you can take people on a nature experience. White-water rafting? Whoaaaa, yeah! A birding morning? Tweet-tweet! A Pine Barrens tour? Look out for the Jersey Devil!

Or come up with any other adventure you can think up. A field trip to the Wildwood Boardwalk? Watch the tram-car please! A British high tea? Tut-tut – and please pass the lemon curd! A make-your-own-pizza party? Ciao, baby!

Items

If you’re like the little old lady who drove her ’98 Chevy only on Sundays to go to church and it’s still in pristine condition, then donate some of your gently-used stuff. No large furniture, please. Or if you’re like me and have a kitchen full of never-used appliances and gadgets – what was I thinking when I bought that mandoline! – then let some other lucky person feast on your misfortune.

Remember that lovely kitchen towel set you bought for Aunt Thelma? Well, Aunt Thelma is now in assisted living and can’t use it. What about the unworn slim jeans you bought for yourself last summer? Hmmm, that was before you started inhaling Dunkin Donuts every morning. Perfect to donate!

Handmade Items

A category near and dear to my heart, handmade items can include earrings (my motto is that you can never have too many pairs of earrings) or necklaces (ditto the earrings motto). If you make your own pottery, take heed – donate your originals; I’m the proud owner of many beautiful Marie Taylor pieces. If you’re a knitter or crocheter, like Peg Gillies, donate your scarves, bags, sweaters, baby clothes, and other cute stuff. If you’re an artist, whatever you do well, donate your lovely creations!

Baked Goods

This is the yummy category. If you’re a fair hand at baking, why not donate a pie or two? Or cookies . . . or scones . . . or brownies . . . excuse me, I have to get a snack.

Ok, I’m back. What if you can create a delicious vegan pesto? Or have a winemaking operation that any speakeasy during Prohibition would have coveted? Or make the best pumpkin pies on the planet? Donate! Donate! Donate!

Services

Once the mainstay of our auction, services of many types are valued. Housecleaning services? Guitar lessons? Surfing lessons? Back massages? Resume writing? Repair work around the house? Babysitting? Limo service to and from the airport? Raking leaves? Our congregation offers a plethora of generous services, yours for a reasonable bid.

Another Way to Donate

If you really don’t have anything to donate – don’t tell me you’re still keeping that old guitar on which you used to play Kumbaya – you can buy a sponsorship.

If you have a business and want to advertise, you can buy an ad for your business. Easy!

A sponsorship also can be a message you want to announce to the congregation. A sponsorship gets you a quarter, half or whole page to get your message out. Do you want to thank someone for something? Do you want to share your joyful news with the congregation? Or do you just want to share a lovely poem with others? Sponsorship forms will be on the table in the sanctuary with the donation forms.

Here’s your chance! Donate! Donate! Donate!

There will be an Emergency Evacuation Plan meeting after service on Sunday October 15th. Everyone that volunteered to help with this drill should have received an Evacuation Plan Summary. Please have this with you for the meeting. Our goal is to conduct an Emergency Evacuation drill twice a year. We will try to schedule them in the Spring and Fall.

Stockton Service Project- A reminder that we will partner with the Stockton students for a Community Engagement event on Monday January 15th. Please mark the date and we will have more information as we get closer to the date. It is our intention to do a Social Justice Activity with the students. Please reach out to Jessica Dunn Safonof if interested.

We are in the process of replacing our Solar panels. We have received a proposal and contract which the Building and Grounds Committee has supported the proposal, and the Board has voted to accept. We have not signed the contract yet but plan to do so in the next week. We will lease the panels for $285 per month. We will no longer pay an electric bill (our current bill is $457 per month.) The owner of the panels will be responsible for all maintenance. More information will be coming soon.

We are looking to form a Speaker’s Bureau. A group of volunteers that would go out and speak about our faith to civic organizations and homeowner groups. The group would also man a table at community events. If this is something you would be interested in, please reach out to Jessica.

We lock our front doors ten minutes after our service begins every week. In the past the Men’s Group has helped Richard out by acting as a Sentry during the service. Richard has asked to step away from this function, so we are asking for a person to volunteer to take over this duty. Ensuring that we have a Sentry every Sunday. The Men’s Group will still help with the door on Sunday, but we need more volunteers that would be willing to watch the door also. If you are interested in taking over this role or want to be a Sentry, please reach out to Paul Utts, Jeff Taylor or myself.

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.

Oct. 22 will be the next Pomona Rd. cleanup. Meet in the parking lot at 8:30 am and this will give us 1 1/2 hours to clean both sides of the road.

Grabbers, gloves, and bags will be provided. A sign up sheet will be on the table in the back of the sanctuary if you want a reminder.

Any questions contact Nancy Watson.

18th Annual UUCSJS Auction

Services: raking leaves, guitar lessons, surfing experiences, repair work around the house, ride to and from the airport, housecleaning, babysitting, therapeutic massage . . .

Dinners and Events: fondue party, kayaking, beer tasting, nature excursion, make your own pizza party, Pine Barrens tour, soup tasting with handmade bowl included, murder mystery party, vegan dinner . . .

Items: kitchen tool, radio, guitar, mantel clock, theatre gift certificate, briefcase, china teapot, cookie jar . . .

Handmade and Baked Goods: jewelry, pesto, pies, cookies, home grown herbs, crocheted sweater, vegan cupcakes . . .

Find donation forms on the Auction Table and in your Order of Service.

Auction date: Nov. 18 @ 6:30 pm

Do you want to thank someone in the congregation publicly?

Do you have a business you wish to advertise?

Do you want to acknowledge the work of some congregation members?

Then buy a UUCSJS Auction Sponsorship!

Your message will appear in the Auction book.

Sponsorship Levels (named after UUs)

Frank Lloyd Wright $500

Louisa May Alcott $300

Charles Dickens $100

e.e.cummings $50

Beatrix Potter $25

Find Sponsorship forms on the Auction table.

October selection: THE NICKEL BOYS by Colson Whitehead

THE NICKEL BOYS describes life in a reform school from the point of view of a young Black teenager. Whitehead based Nickel Academy on the real life Dozier School, a Florida facility that ran for over a century, until a university investigation publicized its racist and abusive practices.

Book club will be meeting October 20th at 7:00 pm on ZOOM (www.tinyurl.com/uucsjszoom) .

All are welcome to join the discussion.

November selection – DEMON COPPERHEAD by Barbara Kingsolver

You are invited to join Steve McGahee and Ivette Guillermo McGahee for a Day of the Dead Bonfire Party on Saturday, October 28, 2023!

On the Day of the Dead, it’s believed that the border between the spirit world and the real-world dissolves. During this brief period, the souls of the dead awaken and return to the living world to feast, drink, dance and play music with their loved ones.

At this bonfire, you will celebrate, and learn more about the Day of the Dead, which is a Mexican tradition and holiday where families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives. You will have an opportunity to learn about the origins of this special day, celebrate with traditional delicious food & drinks, create a literary calavera, and enjoy traditional music. You are invited to bring a picture of your loved one who passed away and something s/he loved to add to the ofrenda (altar).

This event will be held at the home of Steve and Ivette in Pleasant Mills section of Hamonton. They have frontage on Lake Nescochague, which is where the bonfire will be. If the weather does not permit, it will be held inside their home.

To reserve your place for the event, visit the signup table in the sanctuary or email admin@uucsjs.org.

The cost is $30 per person.

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.

Margaret Circle will be meeting on Thursday, Oct. 5, at 1:00pm.

Following our joys and concerns, we will have our program which will be led by Gina Roche. She plans to redo a program that was much fun last year , a SWAP. Participants will bring up to 10 items from their collections of jewelry, accessories, books, knickknacks etc. that they no longer use, and all are invited to take what they think they can use. There will be refreshments. All women of the congregation are invited to attend.

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 graphic above to read more about the following and more:

• Featured Resource: Disaster Relief Fund
• Covenant Calls Us In: The Why of Covenant
  
• CER Events at a Glance
• News from the UUA

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
• Denise O'Meara at (610) 316-7495 denome53@gmail.com

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 10:30 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