Sharing food and drink brings us closer together. Coffee hour on Sunday mornings, special services and events are celebrations, and the Fellowship Committee has a truly good time getting it all together … but they need lots of volunteer support.

Meet and Greet Dinners

A fantastic way to meet new people and connect with old friends.  Sign up sheets are in the foyer.

Community Night

It’s Game Night at Community Night on Wednesday, Feb 3 so bring your favorite board/card game and join the fun. Dinner will be at 5:30 pm followed by a short worship service. This month our dinner will be provided by the Santa Fe Grill.  The cost for dinner is $6.00 for adults and $2.00 for children. Please sign up on the clipboard in the foyer by the previous Sunday so we know how much food to order/prepare. If it’s your first time attending Community Night, you will be our guest but please sign up.

Lunch Bunch

Lunch Bunch is a weekly lunch-time gettogether.  Everyone is invited to bring a lunch to the church library every Wednesday at 12:00 noon and enjoy the company of fellow UUs.

Bridge at Anna’s

The UU bridge club, plays bridge on the first, third and fifth Thursdays at 1:00 pm in the church foyer. If you want to play, be sure to contact Nancy L. Anderson (not the minister) a few days before so we know the number of players.

Quilting Bee

The UU Bee Welcome, meets every Wednesday from 1:00 to 4:00 pm in the Foyer. The Bee is open to all levels of quilters, both members and non-members. It welcomes all styles of quilting work from machine-quilting to hand-quilting to appliqué. The purpose of a quilting bee is to provide an opportunity for quilters to spend time together as they work on their individual quilting projects and exchange tips of the trade, encourage and support each other, share new ideas, deepen friendships, and generally have a good time. A $1 donation per quilter will be given at each session to cover the cost of utilities. The contact person is Chris Ramsey.

UU Women’s Alliance

The Alliance will celebrate with a covered dish lunch at Barbara Myers’ home on Monday, Jan 18, at 12:00 noon. Following the delicious repast, we encourage all members and friends of the Alliance to participate in an important discussion about the future of the UU Women’s Alliance.  – Joan Small

Dining Out

Dining Out will be at 5:00 pm on Friday, Jan 15 at the Sunset Grill, 1274 Golf Club Road in Sonoma Ranch. Please sign up in the church foyer by the preceding Thursday to be sure of being seated with the group. – Frances & Gordon Hill

ROYALS

The ROYALS (Riding Out Yonder At Leisurely Speeds), a women’s bicycling group, meets the third Saturday of each month, except December, for three rides. April through September rides start at 7:30 am and October through March rides start at 9:00 am. No ride is scheduled in December. All rides begin at the Mesilla Visitor’s Center parking lot and end with a brunch at The Bean. Our rides include the Leisurely Ride (6-10 leisurely paced miles), the Standard Ride (20-25 moderately paced miles) and the Training Ride (30-35 fast paced miles). Helmets are required. For more information log onto  http://rideonroyals.blogspot.com/.

Mar 7 THE FUNCTIONAL ASPECTS OF COVENANT

Rev. NANCY J. ANDERSON and the Worship Team: How do our facilities, our programs and our finances support our covenant?

Please remember that Casa de Peregrinos always needs food and money.

On Sunday, Feb 21, we had our latest Social Action open meeting for the whole congregation. We had a full house, a testament to our congregation’s interest in and dedication to social outreach ministry. We had a fantastic spread of food choices for lunch, all donated by the attendees, and we collected $143 in lunch donations that was split between Casa de Peregrinos and the Booker T Washington mentoring program.

Short reports were presented on the Social Action work that is being done. There were reports on “watching the legislature,” and activities of the UU Friends of the J. Paul Taylor Center.  We presented a certificate of appreciation to one of our members for building bookcases for the dormitories.  There were  reports on plans for obtaining school supplies for our poorest elementary schools and the desperate need for food for the needy at Casa de Peregrinos.  We also heard reports on plans for taking the Booker T Washington 5th graders to NMSU to get  them to thinking about eventually going to college and plans for another outing  at the university for last year’s 5th graders. Finally, there was a report on the plans for UUs  Unlimited, including painting the curbs to make them more visible.

The attendees unanimously approved two new projects for the Social Action Committee:

1. A scholarship for one of our kids (with an adult chaperone) to attend a UU-UNO conference to learn about the United Nations. The scholarship will honor Virginia Butler, who has worked so tirelessly for so many years to support the UN.
2. The Kiva Klub, a micro-lending project to help impoverished people throughout the world improve their standard of living.

We also discussed new ideas and concerns. One of our members urged us to oppose the building of a private prison to house undocumented women and children.  Perhaps you too have been thinking about how you can make a contribution to the outreach ministry of our church. If so, please talk to any of the people mentioned above.

Remember:

• Helping to change attitudes and thus reduce recidivism of juvenile detainees is outreach ministry.
• Collecting and distributing food to the needy people in our community is outreach ministry.
• Supporting Haitian relief efforts through the UU Service Committee is outreach ministry.
• Providing school supplies for elementary school students in poor neighborhoods is outreach ministry.
• Introducing 5th graders to the possibilities of a college education is outreach ministry.
• Improving access to our church facilities for people with disabilities is outreach ministry.
• Supporting one of our kids to learn about the UN is outreach ministry.
• Providing funds for micro-lending to lessen third-world poverty is outreach ministry.
• And picking up litter along our adopted section of the highway in Mesilla is outreach ministry.

Genghis Khan and The Making of the Modern World

This is a continuation of last week’s session. You will find it interesting even if you missed the previous session.

Bob Bauer is the Owner of Toucan Market. The suggestion for today’s topic came from the Ethics of Eating Committee. We will be
looking at food production and distribution from the grocery store viewpoint.

Gordon will discuss the book “Coming back to Earth” by Lloyd Geering. Sir Lloyd Geering offers a compelling argument for a transition from theism to a faith rooted in human consciousness and compassion. “The more we humans become an harmonious global society, relating in a healthy way to one another and to the planet, the more confident we can be about the future.” The case he makes for a new, human-centered faith is compelling, easy to follow, and long overdue.

This is your chance to learn and ask questions about Hinduism. Swati and Suman are from India, and Swati’s religion is Hinduism.
You may know them because they have been attending our church in recent months. In early March, Swati will be defending her
doctoral thesis at NMSU, so by the time of this presentation we should be able to call her Dr. Swati Mukherjee.

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However, it’s not over till it’s over … and it ain’t over!

Just like the opera and the world series, the Appreciative Inquiry-Dream Phase is not over until it’s over, and we still have a couple of weeks left. If you were unable to attend the Dream Summit on Nov 1, or you were able to attend but want to have input on other working groups, now is the time. Go to the web page called “The Process” (it’s over there toward the bottom of the right sidebar) look over all of the information information about the Appreciative Inquiry process and the interview questions. After you have had a look at them, especially the “3 wishes” (question F1), get your dreams to the elected group leaders or the Appreciative Inquiry team so they can be integrated into the final dream statement that will be presented to the congregation for approval.

The Groups, Leaders and Facilitators are:

• Our Shared Ministry – Lisa Woodul, Sally Hunt
• Living Our Values – Paul O’Connell, Mike Hughes
• Finances – Charlie Scholz, Jane Asche
• Strong Fellowship – Katya Gonzales, Sarah Heartsong, Cynthia Garrett
• Facilities – Billy Garrett

Once all the input is received, the entire Appreciative Inquiry Team will develop a Dream Statement and present it to the Congregation for their approval.

• What is the Dream Summit?
• What is Appreciative Inquiry?
• How does appreciative inquiry work?
• How will Appreciative Inquiry Proceed in Our Church?
• Projected Time Table for complete 4-D Cycle
• How can I become involved in the appreciative inquiry interviews?
• When will the interviews be held?
• General information about the interview sessions

What is the Dream Summit?

The Dream Summit is the second step in the Appreciative Inquiry process, the first step having been the Appreciative Inquiry itself. The Inquiry was completed in late summer. Appreciative Inquiry is designed to help the church identify its strengths and priorities for future programs, growth, and more. The Appreciative Inquiry team has completed interviews with more than 60% of the congregation, organized and analyzed the information from the interviews and identified five very important core values of our congregation. On November 1, at the Dream Summit, we will have to determine WHAT our dreams are and begin to think about HOW we can go about accomplishing them.

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What is Appreciative Inquiry?

“Appreciative Inquiry” is the study and exploration of what gives life to human systems such as persons, teams, organizations or communities when they function at their best. This approach to personal and organizational change is based on the assumption that questions and dialogue about strengths, successes, values, hopes, dreams are themselves transformational.

Appreciation has to do with recognizing the best in people; affirming past and present strengths, successes, assets, and potentials; and recognizing how these things add value to the human system, the church in our particular case.

Inquiry refers to the acts of exploration and discovery and implies a quest for new possibilities, a willingness to learn from one another, and an openness to change on the part of all included in the system. This means organizational leaders, members, and key stakeholders all learning together and opening up to change.

The approach of appreciative Inquiry has a long history of more than 25 years of research and experimentation. The idea originated with David Cooperrider at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. However it has been applied with great success as a catalyzing force for change in for-profit, not-for-profit, and religious organizations across the world.

How does appreciative inquiry work?

The process used to generate the power of appreciative inquiry is the 4-D Cycle pictured below. It is based on the notion that human systems, individuals, teams, organizations, and communities, grow and change in the direction of what they study. Appreciative Inquiry works by focusing the attention of an organization on its most positive potential, its positive core, and unleashes the energy of the positive core for transformation and sustainable success.

Starting with affirmative topic choices, the approach begins with a discovery phase of learning to appreciate the people’s collective wisdom about the organization’s tangible and intangible strengths, capabilities, resources and assets. This discovery phase involves sharing best practices through stories from the past and the present and then proceeding to imagine what the church might be like in the future in preparation for the dream phase.

A complete 4-D Cycle includes using the discovery and dream phases as a foundation for a design phase and then actually co-creating and sustaining what has been planned, thus achieving the final phase of destiny.
Download a copy of this page plus a 4-D Cycle diagram in PDF format.

How will Appreciative Inquiry Proceed in Our Church?

Projected Time Table for complete 4-D Cycle

• Mid-April through August: Discovery through one-on-one interviews
• September-October: Data Analysis
• October: Positive Core Identified
• November 1: Dream Summit
• November-December: Design Team Work Groups
• January: Beginning of Destiny during Budget Process

How can I become involved in the appreciative inquiry interviews?

We need everyone’s participation in the appreciative inquiry interviews if we are to be effective in building the church of our dreams that will challenge us all in our search for spiritual fulfillment. We are currently signing up people for interviews. Check the sign up sheet in the foyer in the clip board rack on the Welcome Counter where new visitor’s information is displayed.

When will the interviews be held?

Once you sign up, an interviewer will be assigned to you and this person will contact you to set up an interview session at a time and place that is practical for you. You will be able to look at the interview questions ahead of time on the church website or a handout if you prefer.

Download Appreciative Inquiry questions in PDF format.

The interview will last about 60 minutes depending on how many affirmative topic areas you are interested in addressing. The purpose for the interview sessions is to discover from as many people as possible the stories of best practices and ideas and build on this information to co-create the best possible future for our church.

General Information about the Interview Sessions

The role of the interviewer is to listen to you and record your stories and ideas. Your comments will be in response to open ended questions that flow from affirmative topics.

Your stories, ideas and comments will be recorded by the interviewer. The session should take approximately 60 minutes.

The AI team will be responsible for analyzing the summaries of information generated from the interview sessions.

This information will be reported at the Dream Summit in September, but samples of the stories and ideas will also be shared in creative ways during the weeks preceding the Summit.

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Registration for the Winter/Spring semester of Adult Religious Education is going on now. A rich variety of offerings awaits you!

There are a variety of ways to sign up for classes — be prepared to pay the class fee and any book or material fees at the time you register unless otherwise stated below in the class description:

1. Sundays after services in the RE Great Room
2. By mail addressed to the church office (please enclose a check for any fees associated with the class)
3. In person at the church office during business hours (10 AM until 2 PM)

Bicyclists, Motorists, and Our 7^th Principle

Instructor:  Tammy Schurr

Date: Tuesday January 12 and Wednesday January 13

Time: 6:00-7:30 PM

Place: RE Green Room

Cost: $5.00 class fee   (plus $3.00 materials fee payable at first class)

Our 7^th Principle calls us to show respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.”  This two evening course will focus on the activities that affect the health of living things; specifically how bicyclists and motorists can share the road peacefully and equitably.  The instructors are League of American Bicyclists (LAB) certified League Cycling Instructors (LCIs) with a strong desire to make our community a friendlier and safer place to live, work, and enjoy life. The first session will concentrate on vehicular bicycling, how cyclists fare best when they act like and are treated as drivers of vehicles; and the second session will focus on motorists’ behaviors, or how to act and re-act when motorists share the road with cyclists.

Our Whole Lives:  Sexuality Education for Adults

Facilitators:  Susan Freudenthal and Elwin Nunn

Date: Mondays  beginning January 18  (class decides length)

Time: 7:00-8:30 PM

Place: Library

Total cost:  $7.00  (class fee and materials)

Our Whole Lives: Sexuality for Adults provides an overview of many aspects of human sexuality from a Unitarian Universalist values-oriented adult perspective, in order to better understand sexuality in oneself and in others.  In this active participatory course, class members will select from a variety of topics for in-depth discussion and individual research for brief presentation to the group.  Handouts and resources will be provided.

“I Will Save Some Memories” -  Creative Writing Through Poetry and Prose

Instructor: Joanne Townsend   Award-winning teacher, publisher, and Alaska’s 8^th Poet Laureate

Date: Thursdays  January 21 – March 11

Time: 10:00-12:00 noon

Place: Library

Cost:  $15.00  (class fee and handouts)  (a good home dictionary needed)

Have  you always wanted to write but never got around to it?  Have you started to write creatively at some time in your life and put it away for later?  Do you write a lot but need help with form and language?  None of the above, but you desire a class that is fun and stimulating?  In this class you will fill blank pages with journeys of your own memories and your impressions of the world.  The course is designed to help you find what it is in language and observation that makes your writing effective and deeply felt.

Who Wrote the Bible?

Facilitator:  Hillard Williams

Date: Thursdays  January 21 –  March 4

Time: 7:00-8:30 PM

Place: Library

Costs: $5.00 class fee   plus self-purchase of Richard Freidman’s Who Wrote the Bible Please have at first class. Suggested source:  Amazon.com

Who Wrote the Bible? explains for the average audience what  has been learned about the origin of the Old Testament.  Its goal is not to address issues of faith but to identify primary themes and explain their purpose as well as can be determined at this time.  The book provides evidence of when the OT was written and tries to identify who was responsible for bringing the texts together (hint, Moses is not in the running). The Bible’s many contradictions are the key to its origins. Our text is based on the Documentation Hypothesis which is accepted by the major Christian and Jewish theological schools and even the Vatican.

A Question of Values

Facilitators:  Martha Loustaunau and Rita Decker

Date: Mondays  February 22 – March 22

Time: 7:00-8:15 PM

Place: Library

$5.00 class fee

The really fundamental questions of our lives are not questions of fact or finance, but questions of value!  Based on lectures of Prof. Patrick Grim, State University of NY at Stony Brook, this course will cover five video lectures followed by (possibly lively) guided discussion.  Topics will include Facts and Values, Thoughts on Religion and Values, Life’s Priorities, The Cash Value of a Life, and A Picture of Justice.  An enlightening experience!

Great Decisions

Facilitator:  Leonard Gambrell

Date: Mondays   March 29 – April 26

Time: 7:00—8:30 PM

Place: Library

Class fee plus book total:   $23.00

Class size:  15

Discussions, debates, and decisions on five current U.S. foreign policy issues will be the focus of this course.  Each week the group will review and debate a  current issue based on balanced readings provided by the text.  At the end of each session we are asked by the Foreign Policy Association to vote on questions they have developed.  Results of our voting will become part of The National Opinion Ballot Report which goes to the White House, Congress, the Departments of State and Defense and the media.

The Third Jesus:  The Christ We Cannot Ignore by Deepok Chopra

Facilitator:  Karen West

Date: Thursdays  April 1  -  April 22

Time: 7:00-8:30 p.m.

Place: Library

Cost:  $5.00 class fee and self-purchase of the book)

This 4-session interactive class will explore the recent NY Times Best Seller that offers a fresh perspective on what Jesus’ teachings really mean to say. In the book, Chopra works to show how a third Jesus, neither the historical Jesus nor the theological Jesus of the Church, can enlighten our present lives. We will examine Jesus’ exhortation to create our own reality; the meaning of the concept of enemy; god-consciousness; seeking one’s essence; naturalness and simplicity.  We’ll dissect pertinent chapters to see what lessons we might take away for ourselves in 2010. This is an interactive class and what you bring to it will influence what you take away from it. Please purchase the book before the class begins  .

• How Could Anyone Ever Tell You, You Were Anything Less Than Beautiful (3/1/2009)
• To Try Is To Risk Failure (1/17/2009)
• Standing In The Light (12/7/2008)
• Gratitude That Sustains Us (11/23/2008)
• The Strength Of Our Faith
• Yours, Mine, Ours (11/26/2006)
• Gratitude is Not Enough (11/19/2006)
• Calling Evil By Its Name (4/13/2006)
• What’s In a Word? (2/5/2006)
• Gorgeously Various and Beautifully Unique (10/16/2005)

The views expressed in these sermons and reflections are those of the speakers and may not reflect the views of our membership at large.

• The Quest for Truth (February 28, 2010)
  Dick Bagby
• Cultivating the Space For Growth (January 31, 2010)
  Sara Heartsong
• Count Me In (3/2009)
  Devorah Greenstein, Unitarian Universalist Association
• Reflections On Shared Ministry (2/21/09)
  Joel Brown
• Redefining Happiness In An Age Of Scarce Resources (7/08)
  Lyn Pearson
• Reflections On The Al Chet Prayer (10-2-06)
  Lyn Pearson

Join thousands of Unitarian Universalists (UUs) from across the United States for the 2010 General Assembly (GA) in Minneapolis.

You’ll experience wonderful and uplifting worship services—morning and night—led by some of our best worship leaders, with glorious music and inspiring messages. Worshipping together with thousands of fellow UUs at our Sunday Worship Service is an experience that should not be missed.

General Assembly is the way that our faith does business. Actions of social witness are passed at GA, elements that make up future policies are discussed… and YOU have a voice in the discussion.

You’ll hear terrific speakers. There will be hundreds of entertaining programs and informative workshops, offering excellent support and learning for leaders in our congregations. You’ll be able to join the witness for our faith and values, in moving and exciting ways.

Minneapolis is an ideal setting for GA. It is a progressive, culturally diverse, LGBT friendly city that is rich in cultural arts and has a stunning natural environment. There are 900 lakes and 170 parks within the Twin Cities area.

Registration and Housing open March 1.  Children’s Programs are available.

Click here to visit the Unitarian Universalist Association website General Assembly Page

Save the Dates for Future GAs!

• June 23-27: 2010 Minneapolis, MN
• June 22-26: 2011 Charlotte, NC
• June 20-24: 2012 Phoenix, AZ
• June 19-23: 2013 Louisville, KY

• Coordinate and deliver meals for short periods of time;
• Visit members and friends in hospital or at home;
• Phone members and friends out of concern for their well-being;
• Provide short-term transportation;
• Make referrals for short term care when asked to do so by the
  family;
• Send cards of condolence, concern, encouragement and congratulations;
• Maintain regular contact with our shut-ins;
• Use The Light, NuuS, Caring Corner bulletin board, and email
  to inform the congregation about the needs of the committee or
  our members and friends

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Chalice Lighters donate $10 or more up to four times a year to a fund that helps congregations that need a little assistance for one reason or another.

In 2007, Mountain Desert District Chalice Lighters funded approximately $37.5 thousand to three churches and the district.

2007
Billings, MT (Building) $9,301
High Plains (CO Springs) (Building) $7,977
Taos, NM (new congregation) $9,361
District $10,905

In 2008 the Chalice Lighters gave more than $35,000 to three individual congregations and to district projects that help small congregations such as the Small Congregation Conference: Zeal Appeal, and the small congregation grants program that helps small congregations with grants of $500 or less to “make something happen.” We have over 6,000 Unitarian Universalists in MDD. Imagine what we could do if even half of them were contributing Chalice Lighters!

2008
Open Circle (Boulder) (RE) $8,377
Logan, UT (Building) $9,015
Bozeman, MT (RE) $9,082
District $10,905

Calls for 2009 funds closed on November 15, 2009, and were made for the following reasons:

CONGREGATION, LOCATION, REASON, DATES OF CHALICE LIGHTER REQUEST
UU Church of Cheyenne Cheyenne WY, Growth Projects, February – April
Prairie UU Church Parker CO, Paid RE, May – July
South Valley Church Salt Lake City UT, Building Project, August – October
District Denver CO, Small Congregation Grants etc, November – January

Haney Pearson is the Chalice Lighter coordinator for our church.  Please contact him if you would like to participate in this worthy project that helps so many churches.  Generally, there are four requests a year from the Mountain Desert District for funds to support a year’s designated projects.  As you can see in the above list of 2009 funding requests, calls are mailed out four times a year to fund a specific project; for example, there will be a request sometime during May, June or July for financial support for the Prairie Church’s paid Religious Education staff member.  You can respond to each call separately or annually, whichever you choose.   Here is how you can make a Chalice Lighter pledge annually:

This is how you can make a yearly donation:

• Decide on the amount you would like to donate to all four calls
• Write, “2009 Chalice Lighter calls yearly donation” in the memo section of your check
• Your donation will be evenly divided among the 4 calls, unless requested otherwise

Remember, you must first sign up to be a Chalice Lighter.  See Haney Pearson after a Sunday service, call him or contact him by email.  He will see that you are registered with MDD as a Chalice Lighter.

Chalice Lighters History

The idea Alan Egly had in the early 1980s, that many Unitarian Universalists (UUs) might be willing to contribute $10 occasionally to help a congregation that needed a boost, was a good one.

Egly’s idea, implemented in 1984 in the Prairie Star District through the district’s Extension Committee, of which Egly was a part, became known as the Chalice Lighters program and has spread to other  Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) districts. In the past five years it has raised more than $2 million.

The idea is simple. Ask individual UUs if they’d be willing to contribute $10 or more up to three times a year to help a congregation in their district complete a special project linked to growth. Egly adapted the concept from another denomination. “It’s not a completely original idea, but I’m proud to claim it.”

In the Prairie Star district, Chalice Lighter calls raised about $17,500 last year from five hundred UUs. The Joseph Priestly District raises the most money, $100,000 annually from 3,500 Chalice Lighters. The district has a Chalice Lighter Sunday every other year, gaining 500 to 1,000 new participants each time. Also, a team from the Main Line Unitarian Church, Devon, PA (695), personally solicits members of each congregation.

Chalice Lighter projects generally consist of helping congregations call a minister or construct a building or addition. Other purposes are to establish a new congregation or support campus ministry. Rules vary by district. Participants may, of course, contribute more than $10 each time if they wish, and many do. More than 10,000 UUs are Chalice Lighters.

The UU Community Church of Glen Allen, VA (225 members), in the Thomas Jefferson District, has received three Chalice Lighter grants since 1994 totaling $44,000. The first grant enabled it to call its first minister. The second helped it purchase land. The third helped pay for its first building.

“Without a doubt those grants made our congregation and our building possible,” says Leslie Trew, a former moderator of the congregation. “It put us over the top in our own efforts to call a minister, buy land, and build a building. We knew what we wanted to do, and these grants helped make it possible.”

The UU Fellowship of Transylvania (County), Brevard, NC, also benefited from a Chalice Lighter grant. A group of twenty or so retirees formed a fellowship in 1999 in the mostly Baptist area, says Margaret Baucus. Today it has fifty members. “That’s more than the UUA thought we could do,” says Baucus.

The growth was helped by a Thomas Jefferson District Chalice Lighter call that raised $16,688 in 2000. The congregation used part of the money for advertising, to send someone to General Assembly, and to send many others to regional leadership workshops.

“Those workshops gave us a lot of ideas and pumped us up,” says Baucus. The fellowship just called a part-time minister and is hoping to move out of its rented room into a building with room for a religious education program.

Covenant

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UUA information is typically passed to our church leaders by the MDD District Executive, Nancy Bowen, or by our District’s UUA Trustee, Lyda McHugh Adair. The UUA also maintains an excellent website and publishes several books and periodicals. See the UUA website for additional information.

Covenant

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Treasure

1. The operational budget;
2. Building fund;
3. Rental property finances;
4. A 12-month stewardship program; and,
5. Savings and endowment accounts.

Covenant

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Treasure

Not applicable.  This committee manages funds for the entire church and incurs minimal costs of its own.

Subcommittees

There are five critical subgroups that are overseen by the Finance Committee.  These groups are responsible for enhancing church finances by conducting the following events:

Annual Church Auction

Perhaps the most highly anticipated event of the year. Join the fun bunch that turns our number one fundraiser into a truly memorable event. For more details, please send an email to Auction@uuchurchlc.org and the auction coordinator will contact you.

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Church [resale] Bazaar

Let us help you with your surplus, reusable, resellable items.   The Church Bazaar will sell your no-longer-needed treasures. Bazaar volunteers
work at the sale tables and coordinate food and fun for families attending this event. Bazaars are held once or twice a year. For more
information about how to donate items or volunteer for “bazaar day,” send an email to Bazaar@uuchurchlc.org and the coordinator will contact you.

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Chocoholic Frolic

Each year our church operates a chocolate food booth at the Frnaissance Craft Faire. The faire is held at Young Park on the first full weekend of November. Volunteers spend a week making and packaging toffee, cookies, fudge, and brownies in our licensed, commercial kitchen.  Then we spend two full days at the Faire selling the products.  The Chocoholic Frolic is both a community builder and an outreach project.  Dozens of our members and friends participate in planning, cooking, packaging, transporting, and selling the products. Volunteers also set up and tear down the Chocoholic Frolic Booth and count money.   Best of all, volunteers get to “test” the products. Interested in joining the fun?  Simply drop an email to Chocoholic@uuchurchlc.org and the coordinator will respond to your email witht he speed of light!

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Out Of The Box

This is a free-wheeling, thinking outside the box group.  Everyone is welcome to attend these periodic planning meetings where we get together
and think of productive ways (occasionally bizaar, often funny) to enhance church finances. For example, one droll attendee suggested
selling the steeple because it leaks every year during monsoon season.  Meetings are announced well in advance and usually last about 3 hours.
If you think you might be interested in having some good, but productive fun, send an email to Box@uuchurchlc.org and the coordinator will contact you.

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Stewardship Program

People that participate on this subcommittee are participating in the single most import committee in the church calendar. The annual Stewardship Drive keeps the church viable and vital, without it we would have to close our doors. We hope that everyone who loves the church and values its services and the message it sends to the wider community, will consider volunteering for this drive in some capacity. Depending on how the drive is conducted, volunteers may be asked to do a variety of things, such as; helping to plan the drive, cooking for a potluck event, calling members or visiting them to solicit their annual pledges, or handing out and collecting pledge cards at church services.

Beginning in 2010, we will implement a new 12-month stewardship program.  Watch this space for developments.

Please consider volunteering. Send an email to Stewardship@uuchurchlc.org and the coordinator will contact you.

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Treasure

Covenant

The Facilities Management Committee does not have a covenant at this time.

Time

Committee members meet at 10 AM on the second Tuesday of the month. Meetings last 45 minutes to 1 hour and are held in the Library. During the spring and fall, additional time is required to conduct grounds cleanup projects. For large projects like this, we ask for volunteers outside the committee.  Expect to make a total commitment of 1 hour for monthly meetings and another 20 hours spread throughout the church year for special projects. Members total time commitment, including monthly meetings, will not to exceed 40 hours during the year.

Talent

Committee members write work orders for tasks that need to be done around the church by our contract personnel. For example, a work order to repair a lock, fix a ceiling leak, etc. We also need people who are willing to shop for church supplies such as paper towels, light bulbs, and cleaning supplies. We need people who are willing and able to perform occasional tasks around the church such as oiling a lock, replacing a light, picking up trash on the Solano strip, light weeding, killing weeds in the “back 40,” or servicing an evaporative cooler.

Treasure

The Facilities Management Committee has a budget.  Purchases made for this committee are 100 percent reimbursable.