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NSUU ADVANCE MAY 2014

NORTHSHORE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH THE ADVANCE • MAY 2014

323 Locust Street Danvers, MA 01923 • 978-774-7582

[email protected] www.nsuu.org From Frieda This will be a month of awakening for many of you to the realities of our budget shortfalls. Fixing this will mean some visible changes to this church. One of those you know is moving to part-time professional ministry. Success will take willingness on everyone’s part to pitch in and give that much more of themselves in the coming months and year. Be of good cheer! There is much to be done and many to do it. It is natural to feel anxious, worried, even scared about the church’s future. But the more you can set those feelings aside, put them on a shelf so to speak, the more you’ll have energy to do what is necessary. It is gratifying that so many of you are attending services regularly. That makes a huge difference. Be here for one another. Make sure no one gets lost in the struggle. As our Julia loves to quote: “Everything will be all right in the end. If it’s not all right, it’s not the end.” NSUU has survived going on 50 years and it will continue, rest assured. Optimism will take you much further than pessimism right now. Practice seeing the glass as half full. Look for the good things that are ahead like the way you all will work together, the way you won’t give up, the way there is humor in any situation. Let’s all thank Carol Bullivant, Lisa Judd, Jeri Kroll, and Marcia Lassar for their great work these past three years on the Board. They’ve helped greatly to guide the Board through some difficult decisions. These are big shoes to fill, but it can be done. I will be with you through mid-June and then on-call for emergencies. Much love, Frieda

May Services MAY 4 SUNDAY SERVICE 10:30 am

Religious Exploration Sunday

What Makes UU? This service is presented by the entire RE group. All children and youth.

After this very long winter, what brings you back to life? Our young community will share with the congregation what they have worked on this past year and how we will look forward to the warm and nourishing months ahead.

The annual meeting will follow this morning’s service. See the end of this newsletter for the agenda.


MAY 11 SUNDAY SERVICE 10:30 am

Mother’s Day Rev. Frieda Gillespie

Mothers have some of the best stories about parenting.

MAY 18 SUNDAY SERVICE 10:30 am

Big Dreams

Rev. Frieda Gillespie Our best work is done when we are highly motivated to accomplish something. Big dreams take small steps to fulfill. What dreams for Northshore Church are waiting in your heart? MAY 25 SUNDAY SERVICE 10:30 am

Memorial Day Service

Peter VanDeBogert and Tracee Kneeland

Although the service will include recognition of the traditional Memorial Day, we will also remembering deceased family and friends, especially those who made great sacrifices. There will be opportunities to share. From the Board Spring Greetings to all of you! Despite the lingering cold temperatures, I find it encouraging to look out my window and see the beauty of a Massachusetts spring just coming into flower. What a relief! I was afraid we weren’t going to get one this year! This has been an unusually “bumpy” period for us here at Northshore Church. The past few months have been filled with both joyful and challenging events. We have seen gains and losses—and now major change is in the wind. As you all know by now, from Frieda’s and Carol’s letters in last month’s Advance, Frieda will be leaving us for a new fulltime calling this summer and we will be making some necessary, but hard decisions about how we want to go forward from here.


Change is hard and sometimes scary, but it also offers scope for creative souls—of whom this congregation has an abundance. Frieda and Carol have both pointed out that while one of the faces of change is loss that leaves us with some sadness and regret, another presents us with possibilities and renewed options. Even with our new budget constraints we are going to have the time, the resources and help to re-make our much-loved church and its ministry. We will be able to do this in ways that more closely fit, not only our budget, but the needs and desires of our changing membership and our community. Even this early, I can tell you that it is also clear that we will have good leadership. I have been privileged to work with many of our continuing and incoming board members and can testify that they are among our most experienced, capable, hard-working and creative members. These are people who love our church, have worked for it in the past, and want the best for it. In addition, we will have access to guidance and resources from Unitarian Universalist Association and our local district office and from sister UU churches. Our current challenges are not unique to us. Several of the other local congregations have weathered similar transitions. Carol Bullivant already has put together an enthusiastic transition team of individuals who are interested in working on new adaptive strategies. If you are interested in being part of this team, or in working on a particular area, please contact her. We will need good ideas and creative work from all of you to make sure that our final result is a truly representative solution. There will be an immediate opportunity for you to ask questions, hear ideas and offer your own at a special meeting on Saturday, May 3, at 10:30 am at the church. This is the day before our annual meeting on May 4th. There will be additional opportunities later on as things begin to take shape, as well as chances to be part of working teams. One of these teams is already at work. The Religious Services Committee is currently “powering up” to meet the greater future need for interim Sunday ministry in the summer and after. This will be a major area where your creative ideas, skills and talents will be enthusiastically greeted. We welcome new members. If you wish to participate in developing new worship services, new kinds of worship experiences, and/or have new ideas for speakers, please get in touch with one of us on the Religious Services Committee (Judy Putnam, Amy Tedford, Peter VanDeBogert, Tracee Kneeland, Gary Nelson or Lisa Judd). We are already at work. Your ideas and your presence on our team will be valued. Yes, this is in some ways a scary time, like the first time you went down a water-slide as a kid, but it’s also a time full of exhilarating possibilities. So roll up your sleeves and get ready to invent something new and wonderful!


I’ll see you at the Annual Meeting on May 4, after church, when we will hear more about where we are now and some ideas about where we might go next. Just one final note: This will be my last “From the Board” entry, as someone else will be taking over my role as Clerk with the new Board. I just want to let you all know that that I have loved doing this and am looking forward to the new opportunities and projects. My very best wishes are with all of you, always. Lisa Judd, Board Clerk Religious Exploration Religious Exploration Sunday is May 4th. Please plan on attending and allowing our young church to share with you what they have been doing this year. The Youth Group is now fully merged with Beverly UU. Together we will move forward planning more outreach into the community. On May 25 they will be cooking at Lifebridge and in June we will attend Waterfire in Providence at GA. Please check out our Young Performers page on the Religious Exploration Bulletin Board. Listed are opportunities for you to see our youngest members performing in local theater and music productions. A great way to support our youngest members and enjoy a live performance! We are always looking for participation from the congregation. Please see Meryl if you are interested in serving on the Religious Exploration Committee or if you can participate in programming next year. We are growing and will need teachers as well as advisors for the new Junior Youth Group that we will be forming. Ferry Beach is only 2 months away Register now for a weekend of relaxation on one of the most beautiful beaches on the coast of southern Maine. From June 21 - 22, we will gather with two other UU churches for a carefree weekend where meals are provided and you and your children are free to relax, read, meet with new and reconnect with old friends, play games, sun bathe and build sand castles (and if you are very hardy, take a swim), sit around a campfire, and basically do whatever you want to do. We will stay in the Underwood cottage, that contains 14 rooms and can accommodate 43 people. You can come for one night, one day, or even camp in the Grove. Now is the time to make your reservation, before spaces are filled. Registration forms are in the coffee area. First come, with payment, guarantees your space---so sign up as soon as possible.


Turn in your reservations, with checks made out to NSUU, or if you have questions, contact Jean Koulack-Young ([email protected] or 978-587-2935). News from the Social Action Committee ESL Tutors Needed At Christmas we learned about the 101 homeless families who have 167 children and live in the Extended Stay motel in Danvers. As a church we generously collected winter clothing for these families. It is so difficult to comprehend that so many people can be homeless in our affluent society. These are families who are homeless for catastrophic reasons, some are veterans, some are political émigrés, many work but do not earn a living wage. All are eager to improve their situation. For one out of five of these families, a major handicap in obtaining work, or increasing their work income, is that they don't speak English. They are eager to learn English. We have the opportunity to help this non-English speaking population by volunteering just one hour a week to go to the motel and tutor small groups of people. Wellspring House that manages this shelter will train volunteers and provide all the resources and assistance needed. You do not need to have prior ESL training or experience; just a desire to provide other human beings with the opportunities that we were lucky enough to be born into. Volunteers will work in pairs. If you would like to help, please fill out an application form that is located in the coffee area and give it to Jean Koulack-Young. This information is needed as soon as possible, as tutoring will begin the week of May 12th. If you have questions, contact Jean Koulack-Young ([email protected] or 978-587-2935). May 4 – Food Sunday: The Danvers Food Pantry is currently having trouble keeping food in stock with an increasing number of people in need. Nonperishable food items may be left in the Food Pantry basket in the Fellowship Hall on Food Sunday, May 4, or at any other time. May 18 – Share-the-Plate: The collection taken up on May 18 will be donated to North Shore Community Development Coalition. Focusing on low-income and distressed neighborhoods, NSCDC is committed to transformational, sustainable revitalization in Salem, Peabody, and Beverly. In addition to creating affordable housing, NSCDC provides the following programs: Youth Build North Shore empowers young adults with the competency and desire to transform their lives and improve their communities through education, employment, and leadership development. Homeownership Training and Counseling takes North Shore residents through the entire home buying process and gives program participants the chance to receive expert advice from local professionals in the industry. Community English Program offers English language learners the critical first step to economic self-sufficiency by providing English instruction. Family Stability Program aims to keep residents stable in their homes by providing tenants with information about local services and opportunities. For more information, including volunteer opportunities, visit the website: www.northshorecdc.org. If you wish to donate by check on May 18, please make the check out to North Shore CDC. Share-the-Plate Applications: The Social Action Committee welcomes proposals for the share-


the-plate program. If you support a charitable organization whose goals are consistent with UU principles, please consider submitting an application for that organization to share the plate. Blank application forms are posted on the Social Action Committee bulletin board near the front of Fellowship Hall. May 18 -- Common Read: The current common read is The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, by Michelle Alexander. Legal scholar Alexander argues that “we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.” By targeting black men through the war on drugs and decimating communities of color, the U.S. criminal justice system functions as a contemporary system of racial control—relegating millions to a permanent second-class status—even as it formally adheres to the principle of colorblindness. We'll have a discussion of the book after the service on May 18. Lunch will be provided. Please feel free to come even if you do not have time to read the entire book. The introduction provides a detailed summary of the book's thesis. Saturday, June 14 – Boston Gay Pride Parade: In the past, a small contingent from NSUU has marched in Boston's Gay Pride Parade. We invite you to join us this year. The parade route is about two miles, leaving from Copley Square and ending at City Hall Plaza. It is always a festive and fun event in support of the LGB community. There is a sign-up sheet on the Social Action bulletin board. Please sign up if you want to march with others from NSUU. Family Promise North Shore Boston: Family Promise North Shore Boston is a non-profit, interfaith hospitality network that provides temporary shelter, meals, hospitality, and case management for families experiencing homelessness on the North Shore of Boston. The goal is accomplished through the participation of hundreds of volunteers from North Shore congregations. Currently, the Social Action Committee is developing a group of volunteers from NSUU. A volunteer commits to two hours of service four times a year. The service may take the form of providing a meal, serving a meal and visiting with the families, driving, spending time at the day center with families, etc. Cathy Sullivan-Bradley is the volunteer coordinator for NSUU. If you are interested in volunteering, contact her at [email protected] or 978-335-7878. Or sign up on the sheet posted on the Social Action Committee bulletin board. Sunday-Night Suppers at Lifebridge: Thanks to a dedicated crew of team leaders, who plan and organize, and volunteers, who buy food, cook, and serve, we provide a hot meal for about one hundred clients of Lifebridge in Salem on the fourth Sunday of each month. We welcome new volunteers. We are grateful to the team leaders who have signed up through the June supper. We are now signing up volunteers for the May 25, June 22, and July 27 dinners. The time commitment is 5:00 to 7:00 PM. You can sign up on the white board in Fellowship Hall. If you would like to donate money for the purchase of food, you can make out a check to NSUU, write “Lifebridge” in the memo line, and put your check in the offering any Sunday. We are in need of a few more team leaders. If you would be willing lead a team in the preparation of a meal at Lifebridge a few times a year, please contact Marcia Lassar. Training will be provided. Lending Library: The Social Action Committee has a small collection of DVDs and VHS tapes on social justice topics. They are located on a table in Fellowship Hall. New additions are the


DVD A Place at the Table and a copy of the book Nickel and Dimed, our previous common read. If you would like to borrow one, we ask that you sign it out and return it within two weeks so that others may borrow it. Currently, some DVDs are missing and have not been signed out. If you have taken a DVD, please bring it back as soon as possible. Operation Troop Support: NSUU is a collection point for Operation Troop Support. A detailed list of desired items is posted on the Social Action Committee bulletin board near the front of Fellowship Hall. Each month there is a special focus. For May, the highlighted items are sunscreen, foot powder, deodorant. Donations may be left in a box in Fellowship Hall. The Social Action Committee welcomes new members. Our next meeting is Sunday, June 1, after the service. Contact Lois Markham for more information. Congregational Call to the Annual Meeting May 4, 2014 Following the church service To elect officers of the incoming Board of Directors, as presented by the Nominating Committee; To elect members of the Investment and Finance Committee Members; To welcome new members of the Board and thank departing Board Members; To hear and vote on the report of the 2013-2014 Investment and Finance Committee; To hear the budget report for the fiscal year 2013-2014, presented by the Board Treasurer; To hear and vote on the Employer Participation Agreement for the new Retirement Plan presented by Bob Bullivant; To hear and vote on the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2014-2015, presented by the Board Treasurer; To hear the report of the Board Chair on the past year and some alternatives for moving forward in 2014-2015. PLEASE BE SURE TO COME TO THIS MEETING AND CAST YOUR VOTE. NORTHSHORE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH May 4, 2014


Annual Meeting Agenda 1. To elect the Incoming Board of Directors for the Northshore Unitarian Universalist Church. Nominations presented by Nominating Committee: Dona McDuff, Jill Updegraph and Martine Kellett Nominees: Cathy Sullivan-Bradley-3-year term Bob Bullivant-2-year term Brian Orr-2-year term Vanessa Grimes-Treasurer-1-year term Nelson Scottgale-Moderator-1-year term Clerk-No nominee-1-year term Vote to accept the nominees 2. To elect the Investment and Finance Committee Members. Jodi Smith, Chair (continuing) Carol Bullivant Martine Kellett Astrida Cutter 3. Introduction of new board members and special thanks to outgoing board members: Reverend Frieda Gillespie 4. To hear the report of the 2013-2014 Investment and Finance Committee, to include status report on the endowment, cell pole negotiations and the Eva Turner Trust. Presented by Chair of Investment and Finance Committee: Jodi Smith Vote to accept the report of the Investment and Finance Committee for fiscal year 2013-2014.


5. To hear the budget report for fiscal year 2013-2014. Presented by Vanessa Grimes, Treasurer. Vote to accept the report of the Treasurer for fiscal year 2013-2014. 6. To hear the report on and explanation of the new Employer Participation Agreement in the New Retirement Plan. Presented by Bob Bullivant, Board Member. Vote to accept the new Employer Participation Agreement. 7. To hear the proposed budget for fiscal year 2014-2015. Presented by Vanessa Grimes, Treasurer. Vote to accept the proposed budget for fiscal year 2014-2015. 8. To hear the report of the Board Chair on the past year and some alternative plans for moving forward in 2014-2015. Presented by Carol Bullivant, Board Chair. 9. Adjourn meeting.

northshore unitarian universalist church the … · northshore unitarian universalist church the...

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