Thursday, February 5, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Le Flambeau in January 2009 ... New Place of Publication
Le Flambeau, "the blogsite" will not be updated after December 2008. Go to the church website and review the FUUNO News. An abbreviated print version will be available for printing.
http://firstuuno.org
Please email the Communications Team with news items and suggestions on improving the distribution or publishing of the newsletter. Email us at firstuuno@gmail.com
If you require a print version or know of a member or friend that needs a version mailed please contact the church office at office@firstuuno.org
http://firstuuno.org
Please email the Communications Team with news items and suggestions on improving the distribution or publishing of the newsletter. Email us at firstuuno@gmail.com
If you require a print version or know of a member or friend that needs a version mailed please contact the church office at office@firstuuno.org
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
DVD available from the Poetry Service Held in Honor of Charles Foster
A First Church Tradition: Poetry Service DVD available
Poetry Service Held in Honor of Charles Foster
A First Church annual tradition is an intergenerational service that is devoted to poetry. Charles Foster, our poetry master of ceremonies, lead this service for many years. Unfortunately Charles, no longer lives in New Orleans and we miss his presence greatly. The 2008 Poetry Service was held in his honor on October 26, 2008.
Members and friends are invited to participate by reading their own poetry or a favorite by someone else. Our youth are encouraged to read poetry that speaks to them, too! Alice Abel Kemp, stepped up to be our "Poetry Goddess" in 2008.
If you would like to order a DVD or VHS of the wonderful poetry service held on October 26, please see Yvelyne or Henry McCarthy to order a copy. The total cost of $10 is dedicated to the Church to help with expenses. Please make checks payable to First UU Church.
Poetry Service Held in Honor of Charles Foster
A First Church annual tradition is an intergenerational service that is devoted to poetry. Charles Foster, our poetry master of ceremonies, lead this service for many years. Unfortunately Charles, no longer lives in New Orleans and we miss his presence greatly. The 2008 Poetry Service was held in his honor on October 26, 2008.
Members and friends are invited to participate by reading their own poetry or a favorite by someone else. Our youth are encouraged to read poetry that speaks to them, too! Alice Abel Kemp, stepped up to be our "Poetry Goddess" in 2008.
If you would like to order a DVD or VHS of the wonderful poetry service held on October 26, please see Yvelyne or Henry McCarthy to order a copy. The total cost of $10 is dedicated to the Church to help with expenses. Please make checks payable to First UU Church.
About GNOUU
After Katrina, leaders of the three UU churches in the metro area, First UU Church, Community Church UU, and North Shore UU Society, got together to plan the revitalization of the faith in the New Orleans metro area. Out of these discussions came the formation of a collaborative called the Greater New Orleans Unitarian Universalist Churches, or GNOUU. Together these three churches planned and implemented a fundraising strategy that included soliciting support from our own members, friends, and partner churches, and also solicitation of other UU churches around the nation. As momentum for the program grew, three key ministers agreed to lead the national partnership campaign. We are very fortunate to have the Reverend John Buehrens, past president of the UUA and currently minister of First Parish Needham UU, in Needham, MA, the Reverend Kim Crawford Harvie, minister of Arlington Street Church in Boston, and the Reverend Mike McGee, minister of Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, Virginia, all working on behalf of the GNOUU churches.
The goal of the campaign is $ 2.7 million, which will allow the two New Orleans churches to rebuild their sanctuaries and program spaces, and to help the North Shore church retire a steep mortgage that was taken on when membership was at its pre-Katrina high point. All three GNOUU churches are working hard to spread the message that, “It’s Not Over Yet!” – although the flood waters have receded, life, and especially church life, has not returned to normal. We spent the past three years rebuilding our lives and ministering to our larger communities and now it is time to restore our church homes so that we may continue to serve even more, and spread the good news of our UU faith during this critical time of rebuilding our city.
Please visit the GNOUU website, www.gnouu.org for more information on the campaign and how you can help. You can donate directly to the campaign from the website. All contributions are tax deductible, so please give generously. You can also contact Claudia Barker, campaign chair, at cbarker@bellsouth.net, for information on how to get involved.
Claudia Barker
The goal of the campaign is $ 2.7 million, which will allow the two New Orleans churches to rebuild their sanctuaries and program spaces, and to help the North Shore church retire a steep mortgage that was taken on when membership was at its pre-Katrina high point. All three GNOUU churches are working hard to spread the message that, “It’s Not Over Yet!” – although the flood waters have receded, life, and especially church life, has not returned to normal. We spent the past three years rebuilding our lives and ministering to our larger communities and now it is time to restore our church homes so that we may continue to serve even more, and spread the good news of our UU faith during this critical time of rebuilding our city.
Please visit the GNOUU website, www.gnouu.org for more information on the campaign and how you can help. You can donate directly to the campaign from the website. All contributions are tax deductible, so please give generously. You can also contact Claudia Barker, campaign chair, at cbarker@bellsouth.net, for information on how to get involved.
Claudia Barker
FROM OUR MINISTER: Melanie's Miscellany
FROM OUR MINISTER: Melanie's Miscellany
New Year, New Attitude
We begin a new year at First Church with lots of changes around the congregation.
We say good-bye to Religious Education Director Coleen Murphy, who is moving on to concentrate on her job with Common Ground. Many thanks to Coleen for all she did to rebuild our Sunday School after the Storm. The current regular attendance and enrollment is back up to pre-Katrina standards.
We welcome our new Religious Education Director Lydia Pelot-Hobbs, who begins this month trying on the position for size. We are excited by Lydia's enthusiasm and energy, and impressed by her qualifications and recommendations. Look for Lydia to introduce herself at church at services early in the new year.
We also say good-bye to Office Administrator Mandisa Jackson, who position was eliminated this year as a budget tightening measure. We thank Mandisa for her dedication and all her work for the church, and wish her well on all her future endeavors.
This leaves a gap in coverage at the church office, and we'll need lots of volunteers to fill in on Mondays (my day off), as well as help out on weekdays and evenings with the church databank, communications, the church calendar, and lots and lots of copying. Please let me know if you have some free time and are interested in helping the church with some clerical and administrative duties on a regular or one-time basis.
We're moving ahead with improvements to our physical plant -- a new sign will soon appear on the corner of Jefferson and Claiborne, and be sure to check out the new steps to the chancel in the Sanctuary, a gift from Marcie Brennan. Other areas of the church will also get work as slowly but surely we make our way from the devastation wrought by Katrina.
Another change -- we have showers in the courtyard (just in time for cold weather!). Thanks to several volunteers and some donations, the Rebirth Volunteer Center has installed some more showers in the church courtyard. This should ease overcrowding after those long workdays for our guest volunteers from round the country.
New ideas have sprung up for nationwide fundraisers that will also be FUN-raisers -- a chance to welcome people from around the country and around the world and give them an authentic experience of Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. There's also an idea that we could gather in intergeneratioal groups and decorate secndline umbrellas which could be marketed to ourselves (doesn't everyone need a secondline umbrella?), to volunteers staying at the Rebirth Center, to other New Orleanians at local arts festivals, and to people all over via our website. Look for announcements asking you to pitch in on all of these great ideas.
It's a new year, and there's lots going on at First Church. Come to church, to worship, to social events, to work days, and see what's going on, and notice all the changes the new year has brought. Your energy, your ideas, your talents, are needed here. Be part of the change!
In faith and hope for 2009,
Rev. Melanie
New Year, New Attitude
We begin a new year at First Church with lots of changes around the congregation.
We say good-bye to Religious Education Director Coleen Murphy, who is moving on to concentrate on her job with Common Ground. Many thanks to Coleen for all she did to rebuild our Sunday School after the Storm. The current regular attendance and enrollment is back up to pre-Katrina standards.
We welcome our new Religious Education Director Lydia Pelot-Hobbs, who begins this month trying on the position for size. We are excited by Lydia's enthusiasm and energy, and impressed by her qualifications and recommendations. Look for Lydia to introduce herself at church at services early in the new year.
We also say good-bye to Office Administrator Mandisa Jackson, who position was eliminated this year as a budget tightening measure. We thank Mandisa for her dedication and all her work for the church, and wish her well on all her future endeavors.
This leaves a gap in coverage at the church office, and we'll need lots of volunteers to fill in on Mondays (my day off), as well as help out on weekdays and evenings with the church databank, communications, the church calendar, and lots and lots of copying. Please let me know if you have some free time and are interested in helping the church with some clerical and administrative duties on a regular or one-time basis.
We're moving ahead with improvements to our physical plant -- a new sign will soon appear on the corner of Jefferson and Claiborne, and be sure to check out the new steps to the chancel in the Sanctuary, a gift from Marcie Brennan. Other areas of the church will also get work as slowly but surely we make our way from the devastation wrought by Katrina.
Another change -- we have showers in the courtyard (just in time for cold weather!). Thanks to several volunteers and some donations, the Rebirth Volunteer Center has installed some more showers in the church courtyard. This should ease overcrowding after those long workdays for our guest volunteers from round the country.
New ideas have sprung up for nationwide fundraisers that will also be FUN-raisers -- a chance to welcome people from around the country and around the world and give them an authentic experience of Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. There's also an idea that we could gather in intergeneratioal groups and decorate secndline umbrellas which could be marketed to ourselves (doesn't everyone need a secondline umbrella?), to volunteers staying at the Rebirth Center, to other New Orleanians at local arts festivals, and to people all over via our website. Look for announcements asking you to pitch in on all of these great ideas.
It's a new year, and there's lots going on at First Church. Come to church, to worship, to social events, to work days, and see what's going on, and notice all the changes the new year has brought. Your energy, your ideas, your talents, are needed here. Be part of the change!
In faith and hope for 2009,
Rev. Melanie
Update: Special Offering in December
"At the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge, Gustav did significant uninsured damage." First Church of New Orleans speical offering in December was committed to assist our sister church in Baton Rouge. The funds were sent to the Storm Repair Fund for damages incurred to the Baton Rouge church building and property in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav (September-1-08). Funding was needed for the removal of trees and the replacement of the sancutary roof.
http://www.unitarianchurchbr.com/home/?linkId=89
The total amount collected for the Baton Rouge UU Church was -- $419.50.
http://www.unitarianchurchbr.com/home/?linkId=89
The total amount collected for the Baton Rouge UU Church was -- $419.50.
Welcoming Congregation Designation.
First Unitarian Universalist Church New Orleans Celebrates Welcoming Congregation Designation.The Unitarian Universalist Association has officially designated First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans as a Welcoming Congregation(WC). This designation was awarded after completing a prescribed program of action, education, and change in the awareness, approach and acceptance of people with different sexual orientations and gender identity.
First Church has always aspired to be open and welcoming to all having made many changes as a result of growing knowledge and awareness of differences. After Hurricane Katrina, First Church leaders decided to formalize the open attitudes and welcoming behaviors by seeking the WC designation from the UUA.
In August, 2007, the congregation voted to initiate the formal process for attaining the WC designation. A WC team was formed and a plan of action was developed and implemented in accordance with UUA guidelines set forth by the WC program of the Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Concerns. The guidelines specified twelve commitments a congregation must make and defined the actions necessary to actualize the commitments. The actions were divided into the categories of education, congregational life and community out reach. The congregation, guided by our leadership and the WC team with Rev. Melanie as our spiritual guide and mentor set about accomplishing the goals that were not already realized by the church’s previous actions. A series of workshops and educational and entertaining movies were presented. Services were planned to educate, support and acknowledge openness and acceptance of BLGTQI people. Language used in the bylaws and services was reviewed to make it inclusive. To First Church’s credit, just about all of it was. Community Outreach was initiated and an alliance was formed with NO/AIDS. Also, to First Church’s credit, many of the other actions were already in place such as ministerial services for LGBTQI members, recognition of same sex couples in First Church literature and directories.
At a congregational meeting on September 21, 2008, and after achievement of the goals set forth by the UUA, the congregation voted to seek formal recognition as a WC from the UUA. Documentation of actions taken and a request for formal recognition were prepared and sent to the UUA and in late October, 2008, the UUA granted official recognition of First Church as a Welcoming Congregation.
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