From the minister

Mind the technology gap

Last month we had quite a technology scare. I'd just logged off our home computer after sending my final presentation to Brenda Witherspoon for editing, and the computer came back up blank. There was a whirling sound from the mysterious black box that holds the computer's brains and a noncommittal-looking graphic on the screen. I turned it off and on, unplugged it and did all of the low-tech fixes I knew of, to no avail. Lisa arrived home from work, and I warned her that we might be getting a new computer for Christmas. As we pondered what to do next over dinner, we discussed all the things that only existed on our hard drive. I checked my PDA to see what information was still on it - only to remember that the battery had died, taking all the data with it.

After our evening obligations were behind us, Lisa dug out the customer-service number and pushed the unresponsive start button - and, lo and behold, there was light! Our familiar screen came back. We spent the rest of the evening holding our breath and backing up anything that we hadn't already copied. As you can see by the words in front of you, the computer is still working, for now.

Computer crashes are not uncommon. But this came on the heels of trying to fix our satellite TV receiver. After six weeks, it's still not functioning (could be the line, could be the box!). That wouldn't be so bad if it weren't the day after we'd replaced our washing machine, which had decided to stop spinning. We picked out the washer the day after handing over a check for a new roof. You're getting the idea.

Our lives are much more comfortable with modern conveniences. (A new roof may not be so modern, but it keeps rain off all the electronic stuff.) Yet I wonder whether I'm getting service or have become a servant. I am so dependent on e-mail and mobile phones that I may well have forgotten how to write a letter. It's not like I don't have a choice - or like I'd want to go back to the days before e-mail. That said, watching two people sitting together in a restaurant, both talking on mobile phones, leads me to wonder how technology is getting in the way of our humanity. Nothing amplified this more than seeing a little boy outside the grocery store with his little dog sitting so nicely right next to him - only the dog was chrome-colored with metal skin and a robotic heart.

When our machines start to become our best friends, I have to wonder how far we are from HAL telling us he can't open the pod bay's door. If we get there, it's not like we weren't warned. Isaac Asimov and the creators of the Terminator and even the Matrix all warned us not to become enmeshed with our tools. In the New Year, I hope we can all seek ways of being in touch with humanity. Flesh-and-bone relationships with face-to-face contact have a palpability that we need to keep in touch with our compassionate hearts.

January 1 (single service at 10am)

Communitarian Family Values: Chosen Communities

Toby Ewing

Faster than raising your own family! More powerful than a casual circle of friends! Enables you to leap tall obstacles with grace and joy! In our mobile society, "chosen families" often replace the extended families of yore. We'll talk about how a chosen family works, how to build a community, and why you should be part of one.

January 8

What's in It for Us? Christianity and Community

Mary Sawyer

Unitarian Universalism draws from many religious traditions, including Christianity. Within the membership, however, the level of comfort with this tradition is varied. How this reality plays in our project of community-building may depend on which Christianity we look to for resources.

 

January 15

There Are No Strangers Here

Vic Moss

In our community, when we say, "There are no strangers here," what do we mean? How do we see poverty in our community? Vic Moss, the director of the Emergency Residence Project, will share his perspective on poverty, homelessness, and community.

 

January 22

Community: A Place Where We Can Be

The Rev. Kari Skadberg

"We are all longing to go home to someplace we have never been, a place half-remembered and half-envisioned..." - Starhawk
I am so looking forward to "coming home" and being with you all. It seems it has been so long!
Special Music: Fellowship Voices

January 29

Serenity Dogs

Rev. Brian Eslinger

How might pets, especially dogs, embody Reinhold Niebuhr's serenity prayer? Can our four-legged friends teach us the "wisdom to know the difference" between what we can and cannot change? This is the topic Tom Janicki chose for his auction sermon.

From the Director of Youth and Children's Ministries

Therefore I resolve...

How can we be successful in keeping New Year's resolutions? From a parenting Web site in the United Kingdom, here are some pledges that offer a slightly different perspective:

• Bring on the laughs: Put more humor into your life. Rent a comedy film once a week and giggle family-style.
• Schedule a weekly dinner: Add a family meal to the kitchen calendar. Let different family members decide the menus and cook. This kind of meal gives the emotional nourishment we all need, especially teens.
• Commit as a family to volunteer within your community: This can be as simple as cleaning out your closets regularly to donate clothes and toys.
  " Document your family history: Gather all those scattered photographs into an album. Draw a family tree. Take a genealogy course, even if it's just searching online. Teens need a sense of belonging.
• Look after yourself: Discover a ritual that makes you feel good - a hot bath every night, fancy flavored tea, a manicure, or an evening out. As daily stress intensifies, we have to be good to ourselves and pass on this coping mechanism and the concept of self-love to our children.
• Swap a hug for a yell: Next time you are ready to let rip at your child - even if you have a good reason - hug her instead. Take a few deep breaths. Then offer a calm reprimand. You'll be teaching anger management, as well as giving love when she needs it most.
• Perform one kind gesture a day: Be courteous when you're driving. Say hello and smile at a stranger. Pick up some litter. Tell your child about your good deed. Show your family that "it's cool to be kind."
• Get in touch with the natural world: It is the best antidote for our fast, materialistic world. Look up at the sky. Watch the sunrise or the sunset. Walk outside in the snow, wind, or rain. Buy a plant, and watch it grow.

You don't have to make all of these New Year's resolutions, but even one will make you feel good. I might add one more:

• Honor and keep Sundays for family, friends, rest, and recreation (or re-creation of our best selves).

I will be out of town from Dec. 29 through Jan. 9. Have a great start to a New Year!

- Benette

Wellspring Wednesdays

Every Wednesday this spring, starting in February, you have a standing invitation to join in a potluck at the Fellowship. Bring your favorite home-cooked item or the best the grocery store deli has to offer, enjoy good food and fun conversation.

Each week (besides spring break), we'll follow the food with fun in a variety of packages. If you'd like to contribute an event (be it one night or four), let Brian or Benette know, and we'll schedule it. The potluck and most classes are drop-in, no registration necessary. For Benette's class, sign up with the office by Jan. 15.

Spiritual Practices (Brian Eslinger)
First Wednesdays of each month (7-8:30 pm)

Feb 1, intro to spirituality; March 1, many ways to pray; April 5, contemplation of the word; May 3, spirituality and connection to the world. Each unit will feature practices from various religious traditions, providing insight into the range of possibilities.

Feed the Body, Nourish the Spirit (Benette Sherman)

Second Wednesdays of each month (7-9 pm)

Feb 8, March 8, April 12, May 10: Join me in food, fun, and friendship as we investigate the connections between food and spirituality in Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism. We will touch lightly on philosophy through handouts and discussions and make/eat food from these traditions. If you're wondering about Jewish seders, the deeper meaning of the Eucharist, the beauty and focus of a Japanese tea ceremony, or eating food based on your temperament, this class should appeal to you.

UU History and Theology (Brian Eslinger)

Third Wednesdays (fifth in March) of each month (7-8:30 pm)

Feb 15, Unitarian roots; March 29, early American Unitarians and Universalists; April 19, the Transcendentalists and Free Religion movement; May 17, UU Theology today. This group may explore organizing an adult UUFA trip to Boston later in 2006.

Men's Night at the Movies (Brian Eslinger)

Fourth Wednesdays of each month (7 p.m. start; length varies)

The men of the Fellowship will gather for movies and discussion. Our Feb 22 movie will be the touching coming-of-age story Napoleon Dynamite, followed by a discussion of our own coming-of-age tales. From then on it promises to all be downhill, as we'll open the floor for topics and movies for March 22, April 26, and May 24.

Modern UU Poets (Jane Vallier)

March 29, April 5, April 12 (7-8:30 pm)

Focus of the class will be on May Sarton, Mary Oliver, and other 20th century American UU poets, including litergists such as Kenneth Patten.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

Mid-Iowa Community Action is seeking volunteers for its annual "Love Responsibly" silent auction. Proceeds help Living with HIV program clients with rent, utilities, gas to see the doctor, etc. Volunteers are needed during the auction, Friday, Feb. 3, at the Comfort Inn, and the evening before. Contact Corrie Sarol.

CONSCIENTIOUS KNITTERS

(AND OTHER NEEDLE-ARTS PRACTITIONERS)

We will meet Sunday, Jan. 8, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Folks of all levels of skill are welcome. We've had a good time trading ideas and giving each other hints and assistance. Last time we chose a joint afghan project to give to a local charity - and it won't be too late to get in on that. But if you just want to come and work on a project of your own, that's fine, too.

- Mary Richards

DISCUSSION CIRCLE ON SCIENCE VIDEOS

This discussion circle meets at the Fritz and Susan Franzen home on the first and third Tuesday of the month. We will continue with the 13-part COSMOS series

- Sam Wormley

INTERNATIONAL FOLK DANCE CIRCLE

Everyone is welcome. Dances are taught during the first hour, followed by request dancing. There will be a break for winter vacation, and then regular sessions will resume Jan. 15.

- Susan Jackson

KINETIC SPIRITS

Kinetic Spirits provides the atmosphere to tap into your unique intuition, spontaneity, and creativity. Realize that all movements are the right ones to connect to your inner and universal energy. Join us for music and movement on Thursdays from all or part of the noon hour in Fellowship Hall; no experience necessary. Music is provided, but your favorite CDs are welcome. Note that we are now meeting on Thursdays.

- Deb Kline

PARTNER CHURCH

Our next meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 10, from noon to 1 p.m. in the UUFA library. All are welcome. The Friendship Book from our congregation contains many messages of friendship, pictures done by the children, and photos of our Harvest Apple Communion Sunday Service. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share thoughts with Tordátfalva. The book is really lovely and was sent off to Transylvania in mid-December.

- Ginny Huntington

POTLUCKS

Potlucks will start again the second weekend in January (Jan. 13 through 15). You should have had time to work off all the holiday calories by then!

- Bobbie Warman

PRAIRIE SAGE CIRCLE

Always felt a connection to the Earth? Want to share it with others of like mind? Join the Prairie Sage Circle as we learn more about ourselves and developing our spirituality, as well as strengthening our bond with Mother Earth. Beginning Jan. 24, we will meet each fourth Tuesday in the Tower Room from 7 to 9 p.m. To facilitate our journey, we will use Earth Spirit Warrior by John Stowe, a thought-provoking book on how we can deepen our commitment to living a natural life.

- Tammy Hartmann

SITTING ZEN MEDITATION

Our tradition of meditation continues in the Fellowship Hall on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7 to 7:40 a.m. If you are new to meditation, come a few minutes early, and one of the regulars will orient you.

- Jean Hagert Dow

UUFA DAYTIME CIRCLE

The Daytime Circle, which ordinarily meets every other Monday at 1:30 p.m., will meet on Jan. 9 and 23. We continue to grow, including two men now and one member new to the Fellowship. So it's a very open circle. Please feel free to join us if you're free at this time. We meet in the Tower Room next to the nursery.

- Susan Franzen

UUFA PEACE GROUP

The UU peace group is re-energizing! Beginning in January, we'll meet one or two Saturdays a month for breakfast at various local venues. Here's our general MO:

• We're inspired by UU's Sixth Principle: the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.
• We're task-oriented, with specific ad hoc and ongoing initiatives.
• Participants share the lead on various activities, which may include a peace Sunday program, a UUFA banner for weekly peace vigils at Lincoln Way and Welch (every Wednesday from 5:30 to 6 p.m.), a City Council resolution for an Iraq peace plan, informational forums at UUFA, joint projects with UUFA youth, participation in central Iowa peace activities, and serving as a peace communications hub for UUFA.

Join us for breakfast on Saturday, Jan. 7, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., at Café Diem, 229 Main St. in Ames.

- Marcia Brink

UUFA WOMEN'S BOOK GROUP

The UUFA Women's Book Group will meet Monday, Jan. 2, at 7 p.m. in the Tower Room. We will be discussing Hoot and/or Flush by Carl Hiassen. All our selections are in paperback and available in local bookstores. Please come join us; we always welcome new members. Future selections are: From Here You Can't See Paris by Michael S. Sanders (Feb. 6), Angry Housewives Eating Bon-bons by Lorna Landvik (March 6), Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides (April 3), Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers (May 1), and Mermaid's Chair by Sue Monk Kidd (June 5).

- Barbi Greenlaw

UUFA WOMEN'S WRITING GROUP

The UU Women's Writing Group meets the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Tower Room. Aspiring writers are welcome to come and share their writings. We will be writing some short pieces at the meeting, as well as gently critiquing pieces submitted ahead of time.

- Barbi Greenlaw

Recent acquisitions:
Old Turtle books

This book, with delightful watercolors, is written simply to convey a simple, yet often overlooked, message.

It touches on the aspect that differences in religious beliefs create strife among humankind. In this case, the adversity brings creatures together in agreement that God exists in nature and in everyone.

• Old Turtle, story by Douglas Wood, watercolors by Cheng-Khee Chee.
• Old Turtle and the Broken Truth, story by Douglas Wood, watercolors by Jon J. Muth.

Purchase of both these books was made possible by a donation from Ginny Conlon, Kay Berger's cousin.

Letter from Tordátfalva

Green Sanctuary Tip:

Remodeling and Lead Paint Hazards

Remodeling can be a green practice by extending the useful life of a home through upgrading or recycling the living space. Every remodeling project has the potential for surprises, but one bad outcome that can be avoided is the danger posed by lead paint. If you plan to remodel a home built before 1978, be aware that paint used before 1978 is likely to have lead that can be released into your home during the work. People get excited about doing a project themselves and focus on the beautiful results that they are imagining, and paint dust or chips with lead can often be the furthest things from their minds. The following tips were selected from the EPA Web site:

• Do not use a belt-sander, propane torch, heat gun, dry scraper, or dry sandpaper to remove lead-based paint. These actions create large amounts of lead dust and fumes.
• Lead dust can remain in your home long after the work is done.
• Temporarily move your family (especially children and pregnant women) out of the apartment or house until the work is done and the area is properly cleaned. If you can't move your family, at least completely seal off the work area.

Follow other safety measures to reduce lead hazards. You can find out about other safety measures in the EPA brochure titled Reducing Lead Hazards When Remodeling Your Home. This brochure explains what to do before, during, and after renovations.

Under the new standards, lead is considered a hazard if there are greater than: 40 micrograms of lead in dust per square foot on floors, 250 micrograms of lead in dust per square foot on interior window sills, 400 parts per million (ppm) of lead in bare soil in children's play areas, or 1,200 ppm average for bare soil in the rest of the yard.

If not detected early, children with high levels of lead in their bodies can suffer from:

• Damage to the brain and nervous system
• Behavior and learning problems (such as hyperactivity)
• Slowed growth
• Hearing problems
• Headaches

Lead is also harmful to adults. Adults can suffer from:

• Difficulties during pregnancy
• Other reproductive problems (in both men and women)
• High blood pressure
• Digestive problems
• Nerve disorders
• Memory and concentration problems
• Muscle and joint pain

From the office administrator

Handbooks Available

The UUFA handbook/directory is now available and can be picked up Sunday mornings or when the office is open during the week. If you're a long-distance friend, I can send you an electronic copy: Just specify whether you want a PDF file or a Word document (both of which can be printed in booklet form) or the Excel data that generated the name and address portion. Just send an e-mail to uufa@uufames.org and specify what you need.

Also, let me know if you want to remain on the paper copy list for the newsletter. We'll be keeping our bulk mail permit, but we want to cut down on the number of copies sent.

— Becca

Peter Mayer Returns on Jan. 27!

Singer/songwriter Peter Mayer is performing at our Mooncookie Café on Friday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for children. His new CD, Mid Winter, will be available.

This collection of 12 original songs around various themes of the holiday season is Peter's seventh CD and is a particularly meditative collection, with some light songs along the way.

Peter is truly a special artist. You can check out his six previous CDs from the Ames Public Library, but a key part of his concerts is hearing the stories behind the songs. Come on Jan. 27 - you will not be disappointed.

A Committee, A Drive, An Opportunity

In recent years, we have experienced many forms of growth as a faith community. At the board's annual fall retreat, one outcome of the discussion involved nurturing an environment where individuals and families might cultivate giving as a spiritual or ethical practice.

Toward this goal, the board established a Stewardship Committee, whose mission is to create a culture of philanthropy that supports the mission of the Fellowship. While it will play a significant role in the annual pledge drive, the larger goal is to birth and nurture an ongoing, conscious tradition of year-round giving.

Shaun Keister chairs the committee. The current vice president, Sue Ellen Tuttle, serves as partner chair. Joining them as members are Peggy Earnshaw, Joan Mathews, Trevor Nelson, Katie Pope, Emily Roth and Liz Weber.

Watch your e-mail in January for information about pledge events and opportunities to support the UUFA mission.

Caring Ministry Survey

The Caring Ministry Council is delighted with the survey response. We will be contacting "point people" - people in charge of letting volunteers know when caring needs arise.

If you did not fill out a survey, or if you forgot to turn yours in, contact Lynne Van Valin, Trish Strah, or Peg Gurau, and we can add you to the list. Next month we will outline the various subgroups that make up this Council.

Shelter Meal Volunteers 1/3: Schroeder 1/10: Richards/Sawyer 1/17: Douglass/Werbel 1/24: Beatriz Spaulding 1/31: Annette Rowley

The UUFA ERS volunteer schedule is filled through March 14. If you'd like to sign up to take a meal to the shelter residents or to put your name on the backup substitute list, please contact Chris White or Joanne Barnes.

Green Corner:

Think Globally - Act Locally

Most UUs are aware of the need to protect the environment. We conserve energy, recycle solid waste, restrict our use of pesticides and unneeded fertilizer, and donate to nonprofit organizations such as the Nature Conservancy, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, the National Audubon Society, the Union of Concerned Scientists, 1000 Friends of Iowa, or American Rivers.

But you may not have thought about volunteering to help work with local Ames groups who are interested in protecting the environment and improving our quality of life. Here is a partial list of organizations that are looking for help:

• Ames Smart Growth—a local organization committed to good land-use planning. The membership already includes several members of the Fellowship.
• Squaw Creek Watershed Coalition—the coalition's mission is to raise the level of public awareness of problems associated with water quality and the potential for outdoor recreation in the Squaw Creek watershed. Members may become certified IOWATER volunteers and help with monitoring water quality.
• The Nature Conservancy—the conservancy manages the 25-acre Richard Pohl Prairie Preserve just west of the Ames High School. Workdays are regularly scheduled in March and October to assist in the restoration of this important State Prairie Preserve.
• Story County Conservation Board—volunteers help staff the visitors' center on weekends, assist with prairie burns, harvest prairie seed, and take part in other conservation activities.
• Story Soil and Water Conservation District—this governmental and private partnership promotes soil and water conservation both in rural and urban areas. A volunteer is needed to help with public relations activities.
• The Iowa Department of Natural Resources—many interesting volunteer opportunities are available through the DNR's Web site: www.keepersoftheland.org.
• Skunk River Paddlers—this group is interested in improving water recreational trails in Iowa. It has recently obtained grant money to build new access points and provide signage on the Skunk River. Volunteer labor helps the group meet the local match of funding requirements of the grants.

For more information on these volunteer opportunities please contact Erv Klaas.

What the Heck is AMOS?

And why should UU care?

There's a lot of buzz around the Fellowship these days about AMOS. Check out these two UUFA informational resources about this promising program for effecting social change and justice in Ames and central Iowa:

• The AMOS bulletin board in the Fireside Room answers frequently asked questions from UUFA members.
• A new acquisition in the Dustin Berger Memorial Library—Who Will Tell the People? by William Greider—devotes almost an entire chapter (10, Democratic Promise) to information about the Industrial Areas Foundation, AMOS' "parent" organization. Thank you, Library Committee!

If you have questions, contact Marcia Brink.

Erosion of the Public Sector and the Need to Organize

Date: Mon., Jan. 30, 2006

Time: 7-9 p.m.

Place: Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave.

The public sector-schools, libraries, community centers, parks and recreation departments, community health clinics, hospitals, universities, community colleges, etc.-has seen a steady disinvestment of public funds over the last 20+ years. Privatization and the marvels of the free market are being lifted up as the new solutions. What are the costs and the consequences of this trend for us and for our community? Why should UUs care? What can we do about it?

Join us on Jan. 30 to learn more about this issue. One program you'll hear about is AMOS, a growing, broad-based community organization in central Iowa that is creating space for ordinary residents to act for positive social change in the face of these and other trends. The UUFA is one of several congregations and other organizations in Ames contemplating joining AMOS.
For more information, please contact Marcia Brink or Benette Sherman.

From the president

A Forward Glance

Spring will bring issues, opportunities to forefront

Our UUFA board has slowly and steadily grown its governance style in step with our congregation size and program needs. Today, we benefit greatly from staff leadership and smooth-running committees and volunteers (as well as responsive procedures for those rough times), freeing the board to focus on policy and vision - and still finish meetings on time.

One area you might hear more about from us in the spring is the size of the board itself. Our 13-member board of directors is among the largest around, and it seems to be out of step with the prevailing wisdom that larger congregations typically need smaller boards.

We seem to have evolved enough as an organization to move past the territorial idea that every Fellowship function requires a matching board seat. With more time to focus on education and broad goals, individual members hold an encompassing vision of how all the organic parts of the UUFA depend on each other.

So don't be surprised if reducing the size of the board — and perhaps another round of cleaning up the bylaws — emerge as topics at the annual meeting in the spring.

Also in the spring, you're likely to be sick of shoveling snow (if you aren't already), and the UUA, our national association of congregations, knows that. That's why it chose Phoenix to host a conference for midsize congregations. Two UUFA members have expressed interest in attending the March 2-5 workshops; going as a group can enhance both the learning and the fun.

The theme is Congregational Change is Personal: Meeting People Where They Are and Moving On. Browse the rich variety of workshops and other information at www.uua.org/cde/midsize2006. Our UUFA budget has some money set aside to help people get to workshops and conferences such as this. Let me or another board member know if you're interested in more information.

- Brenda

Next Board Meetings:
7pm Wednesday, January 11
7pm Wednesday, February 8