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

Office Administrator Mandisa Jackson

Due to First Church's budget restraints, the Office Administrator position was eliminated this year.

It is with great regret that we say Farewell to Mandisa Jackson, who has held the position for nearly 2 years. It was Mandisa's friendly voice who answered the phone, and who greeted visitors during office hours. Mandisa also helped maintain the church calendar, copied the Orders of Service and Announcements every week, assisted with invoices and book-keeping, and copied, collated, and mailed the newsletter. She maintained the church's database, and made sure office equipment was running as it should. Her good humor and calm demeanor were office assets. And many in the church enjoyed getting to know her sons Malik and Corey, the toddler Jabari, and the new baby Junior too.

Best of luck, Mandisa, on all your new endeavors!

Rev. Melanie's Office Hours:

Monday -- her Sabbath away from church duties
Tuesdays and Wednesdays -- 12 noon to 5 pm
Thursdays -- 10 am-3pm
Fridays and Saturdays -- sermon preparation days
Sundays -- worship and fellowship
Other times are available by arrangement -- please call or email.

Special dates in December:

Rev. Melanie will be taking holiday vacation days from:
Thursday, November 27-Monday, December 1, and
will not be in the office from Wednesday, December 24 to Tuesday, January 6.

FROM OUR MINISTER: MELANIE’S MISCELLANY

“Tis the Season”

“Tis the season to be jolly – Fa la la la la, la la la la”

Have you ever found yourself in the midst of the holiday season thinking you’ll scream if you hear one more canned carol, one more insincere “Happy Holidays”? Of course you have, we all have. Tis the season as much for frustration as for frivolity.
Tis the season – the season of standing in long lines only to be told that what you were waiting for is now sold out.

• Tis the season – the season of whining from little kids (and sometimes even big kids!), overstimulated by holiday commercials for items you can’t afford and that the kids won’t want 2 days after Christmas.
• Tis the season – when a family member or co-worker calls you up and tells you they know you won’t mind making – for tomorrow! – a double batch of the holiday goodie that this year you had vowed not to make at all.
• Tis the season – when even though you and your partner and family had all promised NOT to make a fuss with extravagant gifts, you find out that somebody is going all out.

Yes, this month is the season for all of the above and worse, circumstance and situations that make us crazy, drive us nuts, prompt us to want to scream, “I’m canceling Christmas this year!” It doesn’t have to be that way – or, at least, that doesn’t have to define all of this hectic holiday month. It’s true, it’s the holidays, and the stores will insist on piping in endless loops of carols, and things will still go wrong, and people close to you will do their best to get on your last nerve. But – you can choose to react differently, to see things or put things into a different perspective.

• Tis the season – for beautiful decorations and lovely lights, Don’t try to kill yourself decorating your house – unless it’s what gives you joy – but do drive or walk around, enjoying what other folks put up.
• Tis the season – for holiday wishes and greetings. Choose to take them all as literal expressions, to view them as the true and real wish of those around you that you have a Happy Holiday, a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, a Happy New Year. Say with great sincerity, “You too!” and mean it.
• Tis the season – for memories. No matter how many bad holidays we’ve had in our lives, each of us has warm and happy memories of the good ones. Treasure those, and talk about them with your loved ones. Share the stories.
• Tis the season – for Christmas trees. Sure, selling Christmas trees is the church’s biggest and most important fundraiser of the year and we all have to pitch in for it to succeed. But don’t forget it’s FUN! It’s fun to help couples and families and individuals find the perfect tree for their homes. It’s fun to hang out with church friends. It’s fun to be part of the army of “Santa’s helpers” during the holiday season.
• Tis the season – for carols sung with those we love, candlelight services in the church, goodies shared, dressing up a little. We’ll have several opportunities for worship that will warm your heart and remind you why there is such a thing as Christmas – come be with your church family and celebrate this time together.

Yes, tis the season. And YOU make it what it will be for you. Choose to make it joyful and lovely and full of love and humor, and then that’s what the season will be for you and yours.

Warm Yule, Blessed Solstice, Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Joyful Kwanzaa, and Happy New Year!

Rev. Melanie

“Counting Our Blessings”

With Thanksgiving before us, this is the time of year for making an accounting of gratitude, for calling to mind all the blessings of our lives. For us New Orleanians, it is all too easy to live on the other side of the equation -- to keep seeing what hasn't been done, what isn't finished, what gets on our nerves, what makes us mad. And there's nothing wrong, really, with keeping track of what still needs fixing on our personal and communal and civic To Do lists. But let us, for this month, concentrate instead on all the things we're grateful for.

To start you off, or give you inspiration, here's my list:

•I'm grateful to be living in New Orleans, no matter what. To my heart, New Orleans in trouble and New Orleans needing help is still WAY better than living anywhere else.

•I'm grateful for this opportunity to live near my extended Morel family, to see them almost daily, to share in their lives, to have meals and fun together.

•I'm grateful for the help and support and love and care and talents and skills of my partner-spouse Eric; the struggles and challenges of life are more interesting and easier to bear because of our relationship.

•I'm grateful for the love and kindness of my friends, those I see often and those I see seldom.

•I'm grateful for the help and resources and support of all our fellow UUs and partner churches and individual volunteers from around the country.

•I'm grateful to all the "ancestors" who handed down this church to us; we would not be here without their commitment and dedication.

•I'm grateful to Unitarian Universalism --where would I be without this wonderful faith that has nurtured and sustained me through thick and thin, and that ever encourages me onward? What other faith would accept me just as I am, with all my contradictions and my hyphenated faith?
And of course

•I'm grateful to the members and friends of this congregation and the North Shore congregation
-- thank you for putting your trust in me, for allowing me into your lives, for listening to me with kindness, for giving me the occasional kindly comment, for your advice and material and financial support.

For all of these, and for all the rest of the many blessings of my life, I give thanks. And when things seem hard and the way ahead difficult to see, may the recollection (literally, the "re-collecting") of all my blessings give me strength and courage for whatever lies ahead.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

In faith and hope,
Rev. Melanie

We begin again!

Guest Columnist the Rev. Bruce Southworth, Community Church New York City

From time to time, a UU colleague's newsletter column will strike me as being important for my congregation to read. This is one of those times. Here's how Bruce Southworth begins his 29th year with the CCNY congregation:

We begin again! We gather again for a new season to be that

•caring
•healing
•liberating
•counter-cultural
•religious/spiritual

community that makes a profound difference in personal and collective ways.

...It is an extraordinary adventure to build upon our strengths, to share our many gifts with one another, and to shape new dimensions of service and shared ministries.

The deep [human] hungers that call to different ones of us vary in so many ways by virtue of life experience, immediate circumstances, and even temperament. These yearnings for

•Community
•Meaning
•Justice
•Quiet joy
•Renewed courage
•Greater wisdom
•To be of service --

these, and so much more, shape the fabric of our congregational life. We affirm and share our particular gifts, and may even discover new ones. Our activities reflect our passions, needs, and goals, and what wonderful diversity we enjoy here.

Religious community is a curious commodity, and Kathleen Norris (Waiting for Dakota) reflects on this:

"My old friends were mystified when I would tell them how much I loved being back in church. They regarded religion as irrelevant and challenged me to prove that it could mean anything. As for myself, on the Sunday mornings when I found it difficult to leave a warm bed, or when my doubts were much stronger than my faith, I had to remind myself of why it was I needed to go. It's the one place I know where I am allowed to sing in public, no matter what my voice sounds like, and where I receive a blessing just for showing up. Even more important, it is a place set aside from the noise and relentless commerce of the world for giving thanks for all that is larger than myself.... for a loving and creative spirit at work in us, and in the whole creation. Like nothing else I know, it brings me to my senses."

For me too, and I hope for you as well. Being part of religious, spiritual community like ours "brings me to my senses" -- reminding me to give thanks and to honor creation and its gifts....

The blessings of this church are enormous. Unitarian poet May Sarton captures a large part of our life together:

"... friends, I come to you starved for all you have to give...
We talk of first things and last things....
No one comes to this house who is not changed.
I meet no one here who does not change me."

This is why we belong to a church; this is why we come to church -- to change and be changed. What an exciting journey!


See you in church!
Rev. Melanie

Minister's Calendar for October 2008

NOTE: In agreement with the FUUNO Board of Trustees, Rev. Melanie has adjusted her office hours to be more accessible to the working members of our congregation. As always, arrangements can be made to meet with her at other times, and make sure to call first before just dropping by to make sure she's not otherwise occupied. Rev. Melanie will no longer automatically meet with every Team; teams should her alert her in advance when they feel they need her presence. Of course, all teams can contact Rev. Melanie by phone and email prior to their meetings for her input, advice, and suggestions.

Wed., Oct. 1 – 12 n-5 pm FUUNO office
Thu., Oct. 2 – 10 am-3 pm FUUNO office; 6 pm wedding rehearsal
Fri., Oct. 3 – sermon prep at home office
Sat., Oct. 4 – sermon prep at home office; 6 pm wedding in Audubon Park
Sun., Oct. 5 – Rev. Melanie preaching Yom Kippur service; 12:15 pm Church Ministries Team meeting
Mon., Oct. 6 – Rev. Melanie Sabbath (day off)
Tue., Oct. 7 – 12 n-5 pm FUUNO office; 7 pm Finance Team meeting
Wed., Oct. 8 – 12 n-5 pm FUUNO office; 7:30 pm Building Use Team meeting
Thu., Oct. 9 – 10 am-3 pm FUUNO office
Fri., Oct. 10 – sermon prep at home office; 6 pm Board meeting
Sat., Oct. 11 – AM: Rev. Melanie speaking at Gillespie Breakfast; PM: meeting NSUU
Sun., Oct. 12 – Rev. Melanie preaching NSUU
Mon., Oct. 13 – Rev. Melanie Sabbath (day off)
Tue., Oct. 14 – 12 n-5 pm FUUNO office
Wed., Oct. 15 – 12 n-5 pm FUUNO office; 1:30 pm “One Book, One New Orleans” book discussion at CCUU; 5:30 pm FUUNO Staff meeting; 7:30 pm Membership Team meeting
Thu., Oct. 16 – 10 am FUUNO office; 12 n SLUUMS lunch meeting Baton Rouge; 7 pm “One Book, One New Orleans” book discussion at CCUU
Fri., Oct. 17 – sermon prep at home office; 3:30 pm wedding rehearsal; ?Fall Retreat at Fountainbleau?
Sat., Oct. 18 – ?Fall Retreat at Fountainbleau?; 5:30 pm wedding on Bayou St. John
Sun., Oct. 19 – ?Fall Retreat at Fountainbleau?; Rev. Melanie preaching “Spirit of Life”
Mon., Oct. 20 – Rev. Melanie Sabbath (day off)
Tue., Oct. 21 – 12 n-5 pm FUUNO office; 5 pm appt.; 6:30 pm Worship Team meeting
Wed., Oct. 22 – 12 n-5 pm FUUNO office; 1:30 pm “One Book, One New Orleans” book discussion at FUUNO; 7:30 pm Communications Team meeting
Thu., Oct. 23 – 10 am-3 pm FUUNO office; 7 pm “One Book, One New Orleans” book discussion at FUUNO
Fri., Oct. 24 – Rev. Melanie leaves for Jubilee workshop in NY
Sat., Oct. 25 – Rev. Melanie in NY for Jubilee workshop
Sun., Oct. 26 – Rev. Melanie in NY for Jubilee workshop; returns 10:30 pm
Mon., Oct. 27 – Rev. Melanie Sabbath (day off)
Tue., Oct. 28 – 12 n-5 pm FUUNO office; 5:30 pm Personnel Team meeting; 6 pm GNOUU meeting
Wed., Oct. 29 – 12 n-5 pm FUUNO office; 1:30 pm “One Book, One New Orleans” book discussion at CCUU
Thu., Oct. 30 – 10 am-3 pm FUUNO office; 7 pm “One Book, One New Orleans” book discussion at CCUU
Fri., Oct. 31 – Halloween; sermon prep at home office

Minister's Calendar for September 2008

NOTE: In agreement with the FUUNO Board of Trustees, Rev. Melanie has adjusted her office hours to be more accessible to the working members of our congregation. As always, arrangements can be made to meet with her at other times, and make sure to call first before just dropping by to make sure she's not otherwise occupied. Rev. melanie will no longer automatically meet with every Team; teams should her alert her in advance when they feel they need her presence. Of course, all teams can contact Rev. Melanie by phone and email prior to their meetings for her input, advice, and suggestions.

Mon., Sept. 1 -- Labor Day holiday
Tue., Sept. 2 -- office hours 12 n-5 pm; 6 pm GNOUU meeting
Wed., Sept. 3 -- office hours 11 am-4 pm
Thu., Sept. 4 -- office hours 10 am-3 pm
Fri., Sept. 5 -- sermon prep day
Sat., Sept. 6 -- sermon prep day
Sun., Sept. 7 -- 9:15 am-12 noon service prep, worship, coffeehour
Mon., Sept. 8 -- Minister's Sabbath Day
Tue., Sept. 9 -- office hours 12 n-5 pm
Wed., Sept. 10 -- office hours 12 n-5 pm
Thu., Sept. 11 -- office hours 10 am-3 pm
Fri., Sept. 12 -- sermon prep day; 6 pm Board meeting
Sat., Sept. 13 -- 9 am Gillespie Breakfast; sermon prep day
Sun., Sept. 14 -- 9:15 am-12 noon service prep, worship, coffeehour
Mon., Sept. 15 -- Minister's Sabbath Day
Tue., Sept. 16 -- office hours 12 n-5 pm; 6:30 pm Worship Team
Wed., Sept. 17 -- office hours 12 n-5 pm; 7:30 pm Membership Team
Thu., Sept. 18 -- office hours 10 am-3 pm
Fri., Sept. 19 -- sermon prep day
Sat., Sept. 20 -- 2 pm union ceremony; sermon prep day; 6 pm Chas. Allen Dinner FUUNO
Sun., Sept. 21 -- 9:15 am-12 noon service prep, worship, coffeehour
Mon., Sept. 22 -- Minister's Sabbath Day
Tue., Sept. 23 -- office hours 12 n-5 pm; 5:30 pm Personnel Team
Wed., Sept. 24 -- office hours 12 n-5 pm; 7:30 pm Communications Team
Thu., Sept. 25 -- office hours 10 am-3 pm
Fri., Sept. 26-Mon., Sept. 29 -- Rev. Melanie taking vacation days for her birthday
Tue., Sept. 30 -- office hours 12 n-5 pm; 6 pm GNOUU meeting

Sharing Ministry with North Shore UU Society

On September 1st, we begin a second year of this consulting ministry, and we also begin something entirely new. For the first time ever, First Church, Community Church, and North Shore will partner together to share ministry, as a way of supporting North Shore in this transition year. Rev. Jim and I, along with the boards of Community and First Church, have agreed to provide part-time ministerial services to the North Shore UU congregation as they prepare for a search for a new minister for the year 2010-2011.

As many of you know, the damage to church buildings and membership caused by the aftermath of Katrina left the North Shore congregation with a crippling choice. They could either pay their mortgage (obtained in good economic times when membership was high), or they could pay a minister, but they could not do both. When it is completed and successful, the Greater New Orleans Unitarian Universalist capital campaign (better known as GNOUU) will pay off North Shore's mortgage, thus allowing them to move forward with settled ministry. But right now, they need our help and support, and I am proud that the leaders of First Church have stepped forward in fellowship.

The proposed agreement (which may be signed by the time you read this) offers North Shore one worship service by me every other month in this church year, for a total of 6, along with monthly administrative, pastoral, and educational assistance for a total of 6 units per month. (The UUA recommends that the work time of ministers and other professionals be broken into "units" of 3-4 hours, consisting of a morning, afternoon, or an evening, with a suggested 48 units per month being considered full-time.) To accommodate this time spent across the lake, the Board and I have worked out a priority list of First Church team meetings (the first year of the consulting ministry, to demonstrate presence and to help support the church, I attended almost every church team meeting), as well as a slightly shorter schedule of office hours that will occur mostly in the late afternoons and early evenings, which is when most working parishioners can meet with me anyway.

North Shore will pay an agreed-upon amount (close to $1000 a month) to First Church to compensate for my time; this contribution will allow our church to raise the Ministerial Package (salary, housing, insurance, retirement) to within UUA guidelines for a church our size in our area, for a minister with 15+ years of experience. This gives First Church a year's "grace period" in which to get ready to raise that amount on its own for the following year -- no matter who is minister.

For those First Churchers who expressed a desire to see the consulting ministry become a settled ministry, or at least become a more long-term ministry, the First Church Board and I have agreed to sign an 18-month contract, instead of just one year. This has 2 advantages -- it "locks in" the ministry for a longer period, and it put the contract in line with First Church's fiscal year. I have assured the Board and church members that I am open to conversations about transitioning to settled ministry, but that there is no need to rush. The church needs to be able to sustain a settled ministry, and there ought to be no concerns about my possibly leaving. As I have said over and over, I am never leaving New Orleans again.

I honestly do not believe that most First Churchers will notice a diminution in ministerial services or pastoral care this year. First Church and First Churchers will always take precedence for me; if you need me, do not hesitate to call me or email me. I am here for you. While it is true that I will be out of the pulpit 6 more Sundays per year, it is also true that we are blessed with the participation of UU ministers from all around the country in the Rebirth Volunteer Center, and we have not always taken full advantage of their eagerness to be of help to us. There will be absolutely no loss of quality worship, and I will assist the Worship Team in putting together a strong and vibrant worship calendar for 2009-2010.

I am also planning to offer this year a new UUA adult curriculum on spirituality called "Spirit of Life" both here and at North Shore. I think it's a wonderful avenue for exploring our own UU way of being spiritual, and it's also a great way of strengthening community. I, like most of you, look forward to the completion this year of our new kitchen, after which time I am imagining a rebirth of church fellowship and social activities (potlucks and game nights, anyone?).

I am grateful to be serving as your minister, and proud that First Church is so committed to our sister UU congregation that we would enter into this new arrangement. I look forward to this new year!

See you in church!
MELANIE

Letter from Rev. Melanie Regarding the Recent Tragedy in Tennessee

Dear ones,

Tears are falling down my cheeks as I write this. By now, you have all heard the news of the shooting at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church during yesterday's Sunday service, when the Sunday School children were just beginning their performance of "Annie Jr." Two people, one member of TVUUC and one a member of the Westside UU Church, were killed; five other people were shot and one person broke an ankle in escaping the church.

There were acts of heroism and clear thinking. The man who was killed reportedly put himself in front of the shooter to protect the children. RE volunteers and staff quickly gathered the children, and according to a pre-arranged plan for emergencies, brought them outside to the Presbyterian church up the hill from TVUUC. Four men from the church, including past president and University of TN history professor Dr. John Bohstedt, tackled the shooter and held him until police arrived. A mom in the church's quiet room with her infant barricaded the door to prevent entry and protect the other parents and babies inside. Medical professionals in attendance at the service cared for the wounded until emergency personnel got there. Things could have been much worse, as it appears that the gunman had a lot of ammunition with him.

This terrible tragedy is made even worse by the news that a 4-page letter in the shooter's car detail his rage at "the liberal movement." Knowing that TVUUC was purposely and specifically targeted as a "liberal" Unitarian Universalist church adds to our sense of grief and sadness -- but it also unfortunately means that we and all other UU congregations must exercise caution and awareness. Our liberal message of tolerance and openness and welcome definitely draws new members to us -- but, sadly, it can also attract the violent attention of society's misfits.

The people of TVUUC and Westside UU are already receiving support and resources from the UU Trauma Response Ministry, from nearby UU churches in Oak Ridge and Chattanooga, and from other religious communities. Special counseling sessions for adults and children will be going on during the day today, and vigil services will be held tonight. My colleague and friend Rev. Chris Buice has returned from his sabbatical and is ministering to his congregation. In a public statement, he asked for everyone's prayers.

I will send another email out later this week as we know more about this tragedy, and as the needs of the congregation become more clear. The impulse to respond is deep in us all, but I urge you NOT to do several things: do NOT call the congregation; do NOT email the congregation; do NOT send anything that has not been specifically asked for; do NOT show up at the congregation. As we know from Katrina, while well-meaning, all of these responses can often mean that the congregation gets diverted to handling increased calls and mail and packages and emails, and kept from doing what it needs to do at this time. If any donation funds are created, and contributions asked for, I will let you know. TVUUV is a large and generally well-off congregation. Even though we feel the urge to help, and right away, right now they need our prayers and good thoughts more than anything else.

News of this terrible incident will likely continue for some time, and as details come out, it will become even more clear how UUism itself was targeted. We should be aware of the needs and concerns of our own church's children as they hear of what happened. Our children may wonder if they are safe at our church; this kind of anxiety would be natural. Open and honest communication is best. The UU Trauma Response Ministry website has some resources on responding to children in these situations (http://www.traumami nistry.org/ resources. htm). If you have children, you may want to suggest that your children draw pictures or make cards to send (eventually) to the children of TVUUC. As we remember from receiving the drawings, banners, and cards from UU Sunday School children, knowing that others are thinking of you after a tragedy is important.

I will also ask our Board and Religious Education Team to immediately begin work on an updated emergency plan, so that we could respond appropriately should anything similar to this terrible event happen to First Church. Such a plan would also be helpful in terms of the natural emergencies that we know all too well can occur. I will keep you informed about progress on the plan as it is developed.

This is a terrible thing. It tears at our very sense of peace and safety that most of us come to church for. Let us pull together as a congregation and as a faith. Let us prepare ourselves but without thinking we have to become a citadel. Unitarian Universalism' s message for the world is a positive one, a glowing beacon of welcome and inclusion. We cannot let this tragedy change us or our message.

Thank you in advance for the prayers and good thoughts I know you are already sending to our brothers and sisters of East Tennessee. Any trauma that happens brings up memories of past traumas, so I know that some of you will be coping again with memories and nightmares of Katrina. I am available to you if you want to talk. Please don't hesitate to call me or make an appointment.

I love you all, and we can get through this together.

In faith,

Rev. Melanie

(The Rev.) Melanie Morel-Ensminger
First UU Church
2903 Jefferson Ave.
New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 866-9010 church office
church blog: firstuuno.blogspot. com
Personal blog: NolaRev.blogspot. com

From: Melanie Morel-Ensminger
Sent: Jul 28, 2008 10:22 AM

FROM OUR MINISTER: Melanie's Miscellany- Your Questions, My Answers

Your Questions, My Answers

Last month's Question Box service on July 13th provided a kind of "window" into the thinking and concerns of those church members and friends who submitted questions. For those of you who had to miss that service, here's a quick recap of those general areas of interest, with my responses. (For the record, these are rewordings and consolidations of several questions that were part of the July 13th service.)

What's going on with our Consulting Ministry, and what's in the immediate future?

The Board of Trustees and I have agreed in principle to a new contract for another year of Consulting Ministry, with an understanding that the contract can either be renewed for another year or so, or, after appropriate congregational input, become a Settled Ministry. The Board has appointed a Negotiating Team consisting of Past President Ann Maclaine, Worship Team representative Jyaphia Christos-Rodgers, and Church Ministries Team representative Rev. Dr. Jane Mauldin who will meet with me in the coming weeks to work out all the details of a new contract for the 08-09 church year. There is no possibility of a contract NOT working out for next year. I want to stay as your minister and am very willing to be flexible.

For the future, I am not interested in serving any other church in the UUA. My commitment until the time of my retirement, some 10-15 years from now, is to First Church and to New Orleans. But Settled Ministry (for any UU minister and First Church) will require expectations of meeting the UUA Compensation Standards for small churches in a low-paying area, that First Church may not yet be ready to attain, and I believe there is work to be done on all sides on understanding what "support" for permanent settled ministry would mean. But, as I have said many times, and mean with all my heart, I am never leaving New Orleans again.

What would help First Church to have longer settled ministries, rather than a series of shorter ones?

Some aspects of this are addressed in the above question. Certainly at least a part of what convinces a minister to stay in one church is compensation (salary and benefits). In addition, or even in contrast, ministers and congregations who are able to work together for the good of all, who know how to support and encourage each other, who are willing to periodically "reinvent" the ministry, are more likely to have a long relationship. Congregations with strong and healthy lay leaders who know how to shoulder their share of the ministry, who know how to maintain good boundaries for congregational well-being, are more likely to enjoy long ministries. On the other hand, other considerations, some not in the control of either the congregation or the minister, can come into play. For example, ministers with children will be concerned about the quality of education available; some minister may be anxious about crime levels in a particular area. The best thing First Church can do to go back to periods of long ministries (such as the church had with Parson Clapp and Rev. D'Orlando, for example), is to work on the things that are within the congregation's power to change -- compensation levels, leadership training for lay leadership, and strengthening the congregation's understanding and bearing of their side of the shared ministry.

How can this church (or any UU church) pull together in the face of our many differences? And how can the church work with congregations of other faiths who disagree with us on fundamental issues?

I've grouped these two questions together because the answers are so similar. The best way to unify in the midst of great diversity is to focus on what is held in common. No matter our race or gender or sexual identity or social/economic class or spiritual stance or political point of view, there are many things on which UUs and First Churchers can agree. We lift up our differences in order to emphasize that we welcome all -- we lift up our commonalities to draw us closer together. We all want to be accepted for who we truly are; we all long to have our ways of being religious/spiritual to be recognized and honored in our church; we all want all children to be safe and loved and well-educated; we all desire a city and a world more fair, more just, more equitable, more peaceful. When we focus our main energies on these important things, our differences become less important, just varying perspectives and points of view we bring to the table, enriching our shared lives.

In the same way, we can work together with any religious group as long as we focus on the things that bring us together rather than on the things that might separate us. Whether Roman Catholic, Protestant Christian, conservative Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Bahai, Buddhist, Pagan, or Hindu, there are issues and concerns we all care about and that we can agree to work on together. Our interrelationships will be transformational and we usually find we have more in common that we originally thought. (And we often find that we have more "hidden allies" than we expected.)

What is my vision for First Church?

This was a hard question for me, for, in truth, a Consulting Minister is not really supposed to have a vision for the church they are temporarily serving. But while I am at this point a Consulting Minister, I am also a First Churcher who has long loved this congregation, and I have hopes of serving this congregation for a long time to come. So I do have a vision for the church that I am striving very hard not to "press" on y'all in this consulting period.

In some ways, it's a "Back to the Future" vision -- that is, my dream for First Church's future involves a kind of return to the congregation's past. In the church's history, both past history and fairly recent history, the congregation has been on the forefront of justice concerns, the church has been famous for the quality of its worship and preaching, the congregation has been beloved for the frequency and warmth of its intergenerational social and fellowship events, the church has been known for its commitment to terrific and New Orleans-specific music. When I dream about First Church's future, that's how it looks to me.

I am honored and excited about our second year together, and feeling VERY optimistic about all that is going on and all that is planned. Thank you for allowing me to share your lives with you; thank you for allowing me to serve you as your minister. I look forward to this year.

In faith and love,
Rev. Melanie

Minister's August Calendar

Rev. Melanie still has some vacation days left to take in August, but will also have office hours and will be preaching 3 of the 5 Sundays this month. She is eager to meet with you, to counsel with you, to hear your ideas and suggestions, and to get to know you better, but please be aware that it is advisable to make an appointment before dropping by the church to see her.

Fri., Aug. 1 -- vacation day
Sat., Aug. 2 -- sermon preparation day @ home office
Sun., Aug. 3 -- Rev. Melanie preaching "Uncommon Gospels" series
Mon., Aug. 4 -- Rev. Melanie Sabbath day
Tue., Aug. 5 -- office hours 10 am-3 pm, 6 pm GNOUU meeting, 7 pm Finance Team meeting, NOLA Night Out Against Crime
Wed., Aug. 6 -- vacation day
Thu., Aug. 7 -- vacation day
Fri., Aug. 8 -- vacation day
Sat., Aug. 9-Sat., Aug. 16 -- Rev. Melanie @ Morel Family Vacation in Gatlinburg
Sun., Aug. 17 -- Rev. Melanie preaching "Uncommon Gospels" series
Mon., Aug. 18 -- Rev. Melanie Sabbath day
Tue., Aug. 19 -- office hours 10 am-3 pm, 6:30 pm Worship Team meeting
Wed., Aug. 20 -- office hours 10 am-3 pm, 7:30 pm Membership team meeting
Thu., Aug. 21 -- office hours 10 am-3 pm, SLUUMS Ministers' lunch 12 noon- 2 pm NOLA
Fri., Aug. 22 -- sermon preparation day @ home office
Sat., Aug. 23 -- sermon preparation day @ home office, 4 pm wedding
Sun., Aug. 24 -- Rev. Melanie preaching "Uncommon Gospels" series
Mon., Aug. 25 -- Rev. Melanie Sabbath day
Tue., Aug. 26 -- office hours 10 am-3 pm, 11 am-12 noon appointment, 5:30 pm Personnel Team meeting
Wed., Aug. 27 -- office hours 10 am-3 pm, 7:30 pm Communications team
Thu., Aug. 28 -- office hours 10 am-3 pm
Fri., Aug. 29 -- Katrina Dinner preparation
Sat., Aug. 30 -- vacation day, Katrina Dinner
Sun., Aug. 31 -- vacation day

Fill the Question Box!

For Rev. Melanie's Question Box service on July 13th, a box covered with question marks has been placed on a table near the entrance to the Sanctuary, along with slips of paper and pens.

Have a deep theological conundrum that's been plaguing you?
Want insight on the great topics of the day?
Confused about some aspect of historic or present-day UUism?
Just have an urge to try to stump the minister?

Then write your question down and put it in the Question Box. Rev. Melanie will do her best to answer all questions, or at least schedule the meatiest questions for their own stand-alone sermon.

Minister's Calendar for July 2008

The first week of July, Rev. Melanie will take as vacation; she and Eric hope to visit their grandson in the Philadelphia area. The rest of July, she will keep limited office hours and do some church work from her home office. It is always a good idea to call or email her for an appointment before dropping by the church, to make sure she's available.

Mon., July 7 -- Minister's Sabbath/day off
Tue., July 8 -- Minister's office hours 10 am-3 pm; 6 pm GNOUU meeting @ CCUU
Wed., July 9 -- Minister's office hours 10 am-3 pm; 7:30 pm Building Use Team meeting
Thu., July 10 -- Minister's office hours 10 am-3 pm; 7 pm Board meeting
Fri., July 11-Sat., July 12 -- Rev. Melanie in Fla. with family
Sun., July 13 -- 10:30 am Rev. Melanie leading Question Box service
Mon., July 14 -- Minister's Sabbath/day off
Tue., July 15 -- Minister's office hours 10 am-3 pm; 6:30 pm Worship Team meeting; 6:30 pm Center for Ethical Living meeting CCUU
Wed., July 16 -- Minister's office hours 10 am-3 pm; 7:30 pm Membership Team meeting
Thu., July 17 -- Minister's office hours 10 am-3 pm; Dine for Life AIDS benefit; 7 pm Building the World class
Fri., July 18-Mon., July 21 -- Minister's weekend off
Tue., July 22 -- Minister's office hours 10 am-3 pm; 5:30 pm Personnel Team meeting
Wed., July 23 -- Minister's office hours 10 am-3 pm; 7:30 pm Communications Team meeting
Thu., July 24 -- Minister's office hours 10 am-3 pm
Fri., July 25 -- sermon prep at home office; 7 pm wedding rehearsal
Sat., July 26 -- sermon prep at home office; 2 pm wedding; 6 pm wedding
Sun., July 27 -- preaching at UU Baton Rouge
Mon., July 28 -- Minister's Sabbath/day off
Tue., July 29 -- Minister's office hours 10 am-3 pm
Wed., July 30 -- Minister's office hours 10 am-3 pm
Thu., July 31 -- Minister's office hours 10 am-3 pm

MELANIE'S MISCELLANY - "Those Words"

"Those Words"

Every Sunday, I say certain words to end the Pastoral Prayer and the sermon, and there's something of a story associated with each one. More than one person in the church has asked me about "those words" -- so I guess as our first year together draws to a close, it's a good time for me to take this opportunity to look into what I'm saying when I say those words and why I'm saying them.

When I first started preaching, around 20 years ago, I used "So might this be. Amen" as the closing words to my sermons. I did this until, early in my first ministry, a parishioner came to me and expressed strong discomfort with hearing "amen" every Sunday. This parishioner associated "amen" with Christianity and was unhappy with its addition to worship. Apparently, my predecessor had never used the word in this historically humanist congregation. I was using it in its traditional sense of affirmation; its origin in Greek means "truth."

While I sympathized with my parishioner's spiritual discomfort, I was not willing to censor my preaching, so I worked out a compromise -- I would add "Ashe" to my closing (pronounced "ashay"). As I explained to my congregant at that time, ashe is a word from the African Yoruba culture, familiar to many in New Orleans Creole/voodoo culture. In one sense, it refers to the true essence or nature of a person or thing; capitalized, it points to the nature of the Universe/God, which is health and wholeness. But as used popularly, it serves much the same purpose as "amen" -- it can mean "it is so" or "it's the truth" or even, colloquially, "yeah, you right." My parishioner was pleased with its pagan, Afrocentric origin, and I was pleased to be able to subtly give a shout-out to my beloved New Orleans. I then began ending my sermons with "So might this be. Amen and Ashe."

Within a few years of serving that congregation, it became clear to me how important the Jewish strand of our living tradition was to the members. The founding family was Jewish in heritage, and for nearly 50 years, the church had a Passover seder supper that was much loved. I decided it would be a good idea to honor that part of the spiritual life of the congregation, and added "shalom" to my closing words. I should add here that "amen" is part of the Jewish liturgical tradition as well, pronounced slightly differently (more as "ah-main"), but I chose "shalom" as being more recognizably and overtly Jewish. "Shalom" is often translated as simply "peace" but in reality its meaning is closer to "ashe" -- it is understood to mean health and wholeness and holiness as well as peace. So at that time, my sermons started ending, "Amen -- Ashe -- Shalom."

In 1998, I took a sabbatical from that congregation and spent time in India with a group sponsored by the UU Holdeen India Program. On my return, I wanted to honor what I had learned about the best of the Hindu tradition by adding "Namaste" to my closing. In Hindi, "namaste" means simply "bowing to you" but is traditionally understood as "the divine in me bows to the divine in you." From then on, I closed my sermons with "Amen -- Ashe -- Shalom -- Namaste."

It didn't take long until some Celtic-inspired pagans in my congregation asked me to include their preferred blessing words, "Blessed be." Well, I had no problem with that; while my own paganism has always been more voodoo-flavored than Celtic, I was glad to add these words to the end of my closing and thus make these parishioners feel more included.

More years passed, and September 11, 2001 arrived. I was appalled at the blatant and ugly anti-Muslim prejudice that swept our country in response to the attacks; in response, I inserted "Salaam" right after "Shalom" (to which it is linguistically related) to honor the true spirit of Islam. And so my list of sacred closing words was now complete and in its present form: Amen -- Ashe -- Shalom -- Salaam -- Namaste -- Blessed be!

And so here I am, 15 years after being ordained by this congregation and sent out to do ministry in the UU world, still saying all "those words." I say them to recognize and honor the varying spiritualities in our congregation, in our denomination, and in our world. I say them as a nod to my own evolution and experience as a UU minister. And I say them now because they are familiar and comfortable to me, and feel "right."

And now you know. I hope knowing what and the why and the how of them adds to your experience of worship.

Amen -- Ashe -- Shalom -- Salaam -- Namaste -- Blessed be!

Recovery from Trauma

FROM OUR MINISTER:
MELANIE'S MISCELLANY

A year ago last month, I entered into conversations with leaders of First Church about applying for the Consulting Minister position. I had a great many concerns about all the congregation had been through in the previous 20 months, and I wanted to be the best minister I could be for the folks of First Church. In reflecting on the situation in New Orleans and First Church, I began to see correlations between post-Katrina NOLA and survivors of abuse and trauma.

The comparison seemed apt, and I realized that while like most UU ministers I had both training and experience in "normal" pastoral care, I felt I was not prepared for the kinds of stress and trauma that people in the church and in thee city were coping with. I sought out the advice and counsel of a UU colleague I had known for years, and whose special expertise was in "after care" -- ministry to congregations that have survived abuse or inappropriate behavior by a minister or lay leader. While it is true that First Church had NOT had that exact experience, I felt that the whole post-Katrina syndrome could be seen as a kind of abuse perpetrated on the people of New Orleans.

I first started conversations with the Rev. Dr. Deborah Pope-Lance in June last year, telling her my theory of how New Orleans and First Church had been victimized, and how hard the church's lay leaders had been working to cope and keep things going, both personally and in the church. Dr. Pope-Lance was intrigued, and agreed that the comparison was apt. She was interested in working with me to ensure that our shared ministry would be fitted to the congregation's present needs.

Consultations with trained experts such as Dr. Pope-Lance can be expensive. The UUA Department of Professional Leadership was generous in providing a grant to help with the cost of the monthly sessions, and Dr. Pope-Lance and I formally began our work in September. Her advice and counsel have been invaluable to me as I have striven to be the kind of minister that First Church needed this first year. I have learned several important things from the consultation which I hope have been useful over this past year, that I know will continue to be useful to all of us leaders and members of First Church as we prepare to move forward into a second year. I shared many of these points with the Board of Trustees at their last meeting, and the Board suggested it would be good if the whole congregation learned them as well.
•

Recovery from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder -- one way of looking at how folks in New Orleans have been affected by Katrina and its aftermath -- takes both time and effort; time alone will not work for most people. It is estimated that full recovery takes about 8-10 years for a "regular" trauma, and that it could take up to 20 years for the people of New Orleans to fully recover after all that happened.

Learning: We should exercise more patience with ourselves and each other. Recovery is a marathon, not a sprint.

•Overcoming trauma means talking about what happened, giving the events personal meaning, and then integrating the experience into one's life. This is another thing that does not happen on its own.

Learning:
We should provide more opportunities for people to talk about how they feel and what happened, and to ascribe meaning through worship and other avenues.

•When times are stressful in a congregation, it is easy to fall into a pattern of concentrating on everything going wrong, all the things not back to "normal" – but what you focus on, you create more of.

Learning:
The minister and leaders should focus on the positive, look at what is going well, and celebrate where folks are doing a good job. We can build on our many accomplishments and achievements post-K, and not put energy in bemoaning what's been lost or what we haven't restored yet.

•It is OK after a trauma to "triage" church jobs and responsibilities and to let some things drop, even if just for the time being. It is not a sign of failure to discontinue or put on hiatus certain church events, activities, or groups.

Learning: A church of less than 100 does not need what a church of 200 needs. Let's be the best church our PRESENT size can be.

•It is better for a person who is under stress and/or recovering from trauma to leave a meeting or gathering abruptly than for them to act out, or lash out at others in public.

Learning: The minister and lay leaders must allow stressed-out folks to withdraw for a time if that is what they need to do.

•At some level or another, everyone in the New Orleans area has been hurt by Katrina and the aftermath.

Learning: It is a good idea for the minister and lay leaders to assume that everyone, even those who seem "OK" on the outside, is in need of special care and gentle treatment.

•Feeling empowered and taking back control is an important part of healing from trauma; it is not helpful for others, no matter how well-intentioned, to make decisions for abuse and trauma survivors.

Learning: A congregation surviving trauma needs to feel that they are making their own decisions, not being directed from outside or above, and that nothing
important is being hidden or kept from them "for their own good."

These are good points to keep in mind as we move forward. Our progress may not be as swift or as straight-line as we might wish (or even long for!), but as a congregation we are doing a good job in our recovery. Things are going in a positive direction. We are slowly healing, getting stronger and better, renewing ourselves as New Orleanians and as Unitarian Universalists. It has been a milestone year, this year of our 175th anniversary, and it has been my privilege and honor to serve you during it.

Now let's look ahead in hope and faith to next year; I look forward to sharing it with you.

In our shared ministry,
Melanie

Minister's Calendar for June 2008

Regular Office Hours:
Tuesdays-Wednesdays-Thursdays
9 am-4 pm (sometimes later)

Regular and recurring:

Sermon preparation at home study: Friday and Saturday

Minister's Sabbath Day (free from non-emergency church duties): Monday

1st Wednesday: 5:30 pm Building & Grounds Team meeting

1st & 3rd Thursday: 7-9 pm "Building The World" anti-racism class

2nd Tuesday: 7 pm Finance Team meeting

2nd Wednesday: 7:30 pm Building Use Team meeting

2nd Thursday: 7 pm Board of Trustees meeting

3rd Tuesday: 6:30 pm Worship Team meeting

3rd Wednesday: 7:30 pm Membership Team meeting

3rd Sunday: 12:15 pm Church Ministries team meeting

4th Tuesday: 5:30 pm Personnel Team meeting

4th Wednesday: 7:30 pm Communications Team meeting

4th Thursday: 5:30 pm FUUNO Staff meeting



Special to June:

Thu., June 5 -- 11 am-2 pm SLUUMS working lunch this month ONLY (no meeting in July)

Fri., June 6 -- Cherie LeBlanc's Habitat House scheduled to be finished!!

Fri., June 13 -- 7 pm Welcoming Congregation Team Movie Night

Sat., June 21 -- Baby Dedication off-site

Sun., June 22-Mon., June 30 -- UUA GA in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., plus travel to/from

Tue., July 1-4 -- Minister's vacation days

Rev. Melanie welcomes the opportunity to get to know you better and to find out how she can be a better pastor for this congregation. It is a good idea to call the office before you drop by, to make sure her calendar is clear and that she does not have a previous appointment. In many cases, appointments can be arranged on the non-office days of Fridays-Saturdays-Sundays.

Minister's Calendar for May 2008:

Regular and recurring:
Office hours: Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday 9 am-4 pm
Sermon preparation at home study: Friday and Saturday
Minister's Sabbath Day (free from non-emergency church duties): Monday
1st Wednesday: 5:30 pm Building & Grounds Team meeting
1st & 3rd Thursday: 7-9 pm "Building The World" anti-racism class
2nd Tuesday: 7 pm Finance Team meeting
2nd Wednesday: 7:30 pm Building Use Team meeting
2nd Thursday: 11 am-2 pm SLUUMS working lunch; 7 pm Board of Trustees meeting
3rd Tuesday: 6:30 pm Worship Team meeting
3rd Wednesday: 7:30 pm Membership Team meeting
3rd Sunday: 12:15 pm Church Ministries team meeting
4th Tuesday: 5:30 pm Personnel Team meeting
4th Wednesday: 7:30 pm Communications Team meeting
4th Thursday: 5:30 pm FUUNO Staff meeting


Special to May:
Thu., May 1 -- vacation day at Jazz Fest
Fri., May 2 -- Irish Music Concert @ FUUNO
Fri., May 9 -- 7 pm Welcoming Congregation Team Movie Night
Sat., May 10 -- Church Ministries Team Retreat
Sun., May 25 -- 2-4 pm Welcoming Congregation Team workshop


Rev. Melanie welcomes the opportunity to get to know you better and to find out how she can be a better pastor for this congregation. It is a good idea to call the office before you drop by, to make sure her calendar is clear and that she does not have a previous appointment. In many cases, appointments can be arranged on the non-office days of Fridays-Saturdays-Sundays.

MELANIE'S MISCELLANY: Are you an apostate, or a true believer?

I can just hear y'all now; you're thinking, "What kind of crazy question is that to ask a UU -- aren't we all apostates??" but bear with me.

"Apostate" has several levels of meaning, and some of those do indeed describe almost every single Unitarian Universalist. On one hand, an apostate is a dissenter, a heretic, a nonconformist -- words that easily fit us religious liberals. We dissent from standard religious views and dogma; we follow what the more orthodox would term heresy; we pride ourselves on our nonconformity (some might say we are rigidly conformist in our nonconformity, but that's a subject for another column!). On the other hand, though, an apostate is a deserter, a traitor, a backslider, a turncoat. An apostate is someone who has intentionally left or turned against a particular faith or belief system.

And there's the rub.

Philosopher Max Scheler describes an apostate in terms that ought to give us Unitarian Universalists pause; he writes:

"The apostate does not affirm new convictions for their own sake, [but] is engaged in a continuous chain of acts of revenge against his [or her] own spiritual past."

Ouch. If you resemble that remark, then you are among the large number of UUs who describe themselves negatively, as what they don't believe, don't like, don't do. Some will often only half-jokingly describe themselves as a "recovering Catholic" or an "ex-Baptist" or a "fallen-away Methodist" before they call themselves UU. This is the unfortunate shadow side to being an apostate.

Being an apostate in this latter sense is like being trapped as a perpetual teenager, always in rebellion against the parents/authority figures, unable or unwilling to form one's own particular individual identity. UUs with this self-identity find it difficult to describe their church or UUism without resorting to that series of "don'ts." When the curious religious seeker presses for more, saying, "OK, I get what y'all don't do or don't do, but what DO you do – what DO you believe?" these UUs get tongue-tied.

Being an apostate in the first sense can be good thing, but staying stuck too long in the second sense can be spiritually crippling.

What is your true belief? What holds you together in the dark of the night? What gives you the strength to get out of bed and face your day? You can book it's NOT your list of don'ts.

Try running through your list of favorite positive values, the things you DO believe in -- such as love and compassion, beauty and justice and equity, inclusive community, working with others to make the world a better place, healing for all those who are broken and wounded and in need of comfort – and put them in your personal priority order. Add to the "do" list as things occur to you.

And the next time somebody asks you about First Church and Unitarian Universalism, start off by saying, "You'll love First Church, because we…" and fill in that blank from the affirmative things you love about this church and this faith.

We UUs will always be apostates in the sense of being heretics from orthodoxy, but we don't have to be apostates forever clinging to what we hated about our spiritual past. Be a true believer, and think of your faith in encouraging and supportive terms. It'll be a lot easier to answer those questions coming from the spiritually curious – and you'll feel better too.

Yours in our shared, wonderful liberal faith,

Melanie

Minister’s Schedule for April 2008

Rev. Melanie is generally available in the church office on Tuesdays-Wednesdays-Thursdays, from 9 am to 4 pm. Since she might be called away unexpectedly, or have a prior appointment, it is always better to call first rather than to just “drop in.” She is also happy to meet with parishioners and new folks earlier and later than those stated hours, as well as on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays after services. In general, Fridays and Saturdays are sermon preparation days, and Mondays are her day free from all non-emergency church work.

Regular and recurring, in addition to the above:

1st Wednesdays – 5:30 pm Building & Grounds meeting
1st Thursdays – 7-9 pm “Building the World We Dream of” adult class
2nd Tuesdays – 7 pm Finance Team meeting
2nd Wednesdays – 7:30 pm Building Use Team meeting
2nd Thursdays – 12 n-1:30 pm SLUUMs UU Ministers lunch meeting;
7-9 pm Board of Trustees meeting
2nd Fridays – 7 pm Welcoming Congregation Movie Night
3rd Tuesdays – 6:30 pm Worship Team meeting
3rd Wednesdays – 7:30 pm Membership Team meeting
3rd Thursdays – 7-9 pm “Building the World We Dream of” adult class
3rd Sundays – 12:15 pm Church Ministries Team meeting
4th Thursdays – 5:30 pm FUUNO Staff meeting
4th Sundays – 1-3 pm Welcoming Congregation workshop

Special Notes for April 2008:

April 11-13 – French Quarter Festival
April 25-27 – Jazz & Heritage Festival