Newsletter

I am pleased that Benette Sherman, our interim DRE, will continue in that position. Having Benette on staff allows us the opportunity to explore how we can best meet the needs of our children and youth. This will include examining how we implement religious education and childcare year 'round and how we can best staff the Fellowship to meet those needs. To that end, a working group is gathering data from other congregations, the UUA and our own members and staff to assess our needs and formulate recommendations for the board. This process will take at least through January. If you have comments for this process please don't hesitate to contact me.

Religious education, especially for our children and youth, has long been central to the Fellowship's mission. During this time our RE committee and teachers will be especially stretched. Please offer what assistance you can to the teachers and the committee.

As I enter my eighth year as your minister, I have seen many changes in the Fellowship. Throughout them all leadership has invited participation, sought to be inclusive in the decision making processes and kept the fulfilling the Fellowship's mission as its primary goal. I have no doubt that our current leaders will continue to live this excellent legacy as we journey through these changes. Always remember that this is your congregation. If you find yourself saying "I wish they would . . ." remember that there is no "them" at UUFA just a lot of "us" or "uus." Please don't wait to be asked if something needs to be done.

lways feel free to contact your leaders, board members, officers and (yes) your minister, with questions, comments and concerns as we continue this process together.

See you on Sunday.

Brian

My mom and I were talking the other day, and she mentioned that, if she had known in the mid-1970s what the next decade would bring, she "would have jumped off a mountain right then." We spoke of how we so rarely foresee the big bends in the river that eventually break the stories of our lives into chapters. Yet we still found purpose that afternoon last week in thinking through the next few years of our extended family's journey and what bends we might reasonably anticipate.

In a much more purposeful exercise, the UUFA board used its retreat last month to peer downstream through some longer lenses and fill in the incomplete images with imagination. We envisioned ourselves 20 years in the future and wrote letters about what the fellowship had become. These letters - filled with humor, insight, innovation and optimism - gave us not a starting point for discussion, but an endpoint (or at least a really distant midpoint). The starting point was last spring's ministry review.

With our eyes firmly downstream, we looked at specific obstacles and opportunities in that review and how they would affect our course. We reached overwhelming consensus on three priorities that need attention now if we are to begin steering toward that 20-year vision.

Money: The money cups were running over in many of our visions, though the source was a little murky. During the spring ministry review, a number of people were concerned enough about fund-raising to sign on to begin that discussion. That group will now be assembled.

Also, the board has directed the revitalized Finance Committee to begin three-year budgeting instead of starting from scratch each year. This will require more input from various groups in the spring, and it will help us put our ideals into practice.

Participation: One person envisioned five-year waiting lists to get on committees because of great interest and involvement. We're not sailing those waters yet. We see a need to better engage new and long-term members, respond to committees of one and match structures to tasks and tasks to interests. Participants in the spring ministry review also recognized volunteer participation as a theme and signed on to begin that discussion. That group will also be activated.

Communication: This includes internal and external communication of all sorts. We have not yet identified specific directions in this area but will consider next steps at our October meeting.

Another clear consensus was that the spring review was a vital exercise, well-run by the Committee on Ministry. The broad-based participation throughout that Friday night and Saturday really did lead to some clear identification of needs and strengths, and those concerns were taken to heart by board members.

Our individual, handwritten letters are being gathered into a legible compilation that will be made available when it's complete. If you'd like to add your vision to the collection, e-mail it to me, or drop it in my mailbox.

It promises to be an invigorating ride.

Brenda

I've been listening to Krishna Das a lot lately. He's an American singer whose spirituality has been expressed through music, namely the chanting of Sanskrit prayers, mantras, and songs. It seems like I've listened to him most of my adult life. When I listen to or join in with him singing songs or chants I remember why I do what I do here at the Fellowship. The music can either jar me into action or transport me to bliss. It's religious education for me.

I hope we can use music in this way with all our kids here at the Fellowship. The high school class will be thinking about listening to, talking about, and hopefully creatingmusic in their class on Sundays. The children's choir, Free Spirits, will reappear soon and treat us to their superb vocal offerings. When the younger children join us in services how can they not notice how much we enjoy singing or listening to a beautiful piece of special music? It's all religious education. It's caught, not taught.

UUs love a good talk, but we also love and profit from a good sing! At the last"singing service" in August I stood next to Susan Franzen as we sang "Let it Be a Dance." We swayed gently with the rhythm of the song and at the end she gave me a kiss, and with it I felt blessed by a friend. Can we convey the same feeling of blessings to the children and youth every Sunday---not just in their RE classes, but as we see them and interact with them in the Fireside Room? Can we have a good intergenerational choir with children, teens, and adults? How blissful that could be!

Parents, thanks for remembering your parent helper dates. Several classes have over 10 kids and your help is vastly needed and appreciated. Remember, if you have a conflict with your date, please find someone to trade with.

Our first high school youth group was fun and raucous. Guests from Nigeria, Gilbert and Nevada added to our fun. Fellowship members are welcome to come hang out with us, especially if you like games. We hope to do this twice a month, every other month.

Dates to remember for children's RE

October 3 --children start upstairs (we will also have a fire drill provided the weather cooperates. The teachers have discussed this drill with the children. It will help soothe their concerns about this if you also discuss it with them)

Dates for Coming of Age participants

Oct. 3---Boston fundraiser bake sale

Oct. 16-17----retreat from 8:30 AM on Saturday to noon on Sunday

Oct. 27----forum at 6:30-8:30

Dates for high school youth

October 10---Crop Walk

Oct. 29-31-----Bagel con in Minneapolis, MN

Thank you to Sarah Carlson for attending the Spirituality Development Conference for Youth and for taking her son Andrew to learn leadership development skills.

Boston Fundraising Begins!!

Many of you remember the efforts of past youth groups in raising funds for their Boston trip. Well, we're at it again. We hope to take a larger group next summer, which obviously requires more money to be raised. We know we can't raise it all with UUFA fundraisers, and if anyone feels inclined to sponsor a youth with a financial donation that would be great. In any case, we'll hold bake sales, run aholiday gift market on Dec. 5, offer holiday childcare, accept redeemable cans and bottles, and more. Thanks for all your past support and for any future support you can offer.

Benette

Fellowship Festival

Saturday, October 23

A family fun event

1-5 PM Activities, Live Music, Treats, & Informational Booths

2 PM Short Program

5-6:30 PM Soup Supper for a fee

Help us introduce the Central Iowa community to what our Fellowship community is doing.

We will have a brief ceremony officially to close the work on the addition.

Join us in honoring those who made the new addition possible with their efforts and generosity.

This is an opportunity to have fun with each other and bring new people who might be interested in what Unitarian Universalism has to offer.

Ministers and other denominational staff will be invited, making this a regional event!

Instrumentalists to be performing: Deb Kline, Sue Haug, Pam Schwab and Tom Russell, with piper Brian Eslinger, Reggie Greenlaw, and the Blue Moon Players.