A Unitarian Universalist Congregation CONGREGATIONAL SELF-ASSESSMENT LAUNCHES IN MAY

A Unitarian Universalist Congregation
May 2010
Transforming lives
Volume 10, No 5
CONGREGATIONAL SELF-ASSESSMENT
LAUNCHES IN MAY
The Committee on
Ministry will once again
be facilitating the annual survey that will
assess the effectiveness
of all of the church’s
ministries, including
services, programs, adult and children’s religious
education, leadership activities, governance, and the
general health and spirit of our congregation. The
survey will be online with printed copies made available to those without internet access. Our hope is
that we will have the same enthusiastic response as
we did last year.
Important to remember is that these annual assessments help us to “reflect on the big picture and then
fine tune priorities. It is to celebrate areas of strength
as well as discern areas that deserve the focus of additional resources and attention.” The continuing health
of Wildflower is dependent on our communicating honestly about our strengths and weaknesses, and we cannot do this without you.
The survey will be in two parts. We want your opinion
on how our congregation is doing in several areas and
we want to know how important those areas are to
you personally. So, look for the survey launch in midMay, and please help us by providing your feedback
without delay.
HOW TO WIN OUR THANKS, DO IMPORTANT WORK
FOR UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISM AND
HAVE LOTS OF FUN–ALL AT THE SAME TIME
Attend General Assembly as a Wildflower Delegate. But, hurry! Regular registration is $310 until April 30; starting May 1, it will be $355. General Assembly
dates are June 23 through 27; this year it is to be held in Minneapolis, MN. Go
to UUA.org for all kinds of details.
Our size allows us to have four official delegates. So far, two Wildflowers have
volunteered to attend and represent us; they are Karen Schrupp and Tom
Moran. Two more slots are available for us, and out of all our smart and dedicated Wildflowers, we need two more people to join them. If you decide you
can arrange your personal life to allow you to serve in this way, let Jan Austin
know quickly at [email protected]. It might turn out to be the high spot of
the year for you, and it is sure to be valuable to Wildflower.
Minneapolis, Minnesota
WALKING TOGETHER
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WALKING TOGETHER
“Love is the spirit of this church, and service is its law…” Thus begins the quote from 19th
century Unitarian minister James Vila Blake, which can be found as reading #473 in our grey
hymnal. Having proven extraordinary love and service in our first major search for a home of
our own, and having accepted that the particular location we were looking at for six months
will not be that home, we can, and I believe must, continue to focus on both love and service
at Wildflower Church. For some of us, particularly the leaders who have trail blazed a path
toward home in the past year, that might look like focusing on the love part—deepening your
sense of beloved community by returning for a time to fun- and fellowship-based activities.
For others, it might look like stepping deeper into service, to relieve and support those who
Rev. Eliza Galaher
have been working so hard. For most of us, it will be a healthy, community- and self-sustaining
combination of both love and service. The important thing to ask ourselves is, “Am I making a concerted effort to hold
the two parts of my Wildflower life in balance?” I encourage all of you, and myself, to explore this question, and to remember that we are it. We are the love, and we are the service. Thus, in the words of James Vila Blake, do we “dwell
together in peace… seek the truth in love, and … help one another.” Blessings and thanks to all.
~Rev. Eliza Galaher
ALL GENERATIONS
ARE WELCOME ON
SUNDAYS!
GENERAL ASSEMBLY–DEMOCRACY IN ACTION
Last year when I attended the General Assembly (GA) of
the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), I concentrated on the current Study/Action Issue, Ethical Eating:
Food and Environmental Justice. That issue is now in the
process of being studied, worked on, reflected upon,
preached about, and experimented with by member congregations, in preparation for a vote by the GA in 2011
to approve it as a Statement of Conscience of the UUA.
The 2011 GA can vote to amend it, disapprove it, or extend the study period another year, which would push
the vote to approve to GA 2012. One thing we can say
about Statements of Conscience made by the UUA is
that they are bound to be the most democratically arrived at statements possible! The study period is long,
the discussions are thorough, there is widespread involvement of local congregations in a huge variety of
events and projects which educate the delegates sent to
GA.
The opportunity to learn more about this Study/Action
Issue is only one of the many opportunities, experiences
and duties our delegates will have at GA. There are large
issues about governing the UUA itself that will be introduced and debated, as well as others. This year, in addition to attendance by our minister, Eliza Galaher, Karen
Schrupp and Tom Moran will do this important work for
Wildflower. When you see them at church, give them a
“thank you,” a thumbs up, a pat on the back, or something to show we appreciate their effort for us.
We have another two delegate spaces available for Wildflower. Please consider attending yourself, especially if
you have never attended before—and let Jan Austin
know. It will be a most rewarding way for you to earn
our gratitude.
~Helen Burnette
WORSHIPING TOGETHER
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MAY WORSHIP SERVICES
May 2 – Rev. Galaher
Unitarian Universalism’s Relevance in the 21st Century
Unitarian Universalist Association President, the Rev.
Peter Morales, states that Unitarian Universalism can
be a religion for our time. Rev. Galaher will look at the
imperative for us to grow and the obstacles we face.
Lay Leader: Tommy Lukens. Service Coordinator: Helen
Burnette
May 9 – Rev. Galaher
Her Blue Body Everything We Know: A Mother’s Day Service
Join us for a special Mother’s Day service, in which we
honor the mothers of our congregation, the mothers
of the world, and Mother Earth herself. Lay Leader:
Alex Traugott. Service Coordinator: Allen Fisher
May 16 – Rev. Galaher
The Bright Feeling of Progression: Honoring Margaret Fuller
One of the leading Transcendentalist figures of her
time was Margaret Fuller. In this month marking her
200th birthday, Rev. Galaher will explore Fuller’s life
and message. Lay Leader: Roger Stricklin. Service Coordinator: Eva Andries
May 23 – Guest speaker Marc Adams
From Fundamentalism to Freedom
Marc Adams, a Unitarian Universalist since 1999, grew up
gay in an environment where his parents, teachers and
peers deemed evangelical Christians like Jerry Falwell leftwing liberals. His experience as a student at Falwell’s Liberty University changed his life and jump-started his journey
to self-acceptance and personal freedom. He is the author
of nine books and is a widely respected authority on fundamentalism, the religious right and gay civil rights. He is also
known for his groundbreaking work with his own nonprofit,
HeartStrong, a social justice organization providing hope
and help to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students
who are persecuted in religious educational institutions. His
presentations cover an often dark side of life, but he bridges
the serious and dark discussion with humor and allencompassing human compassion. Lay Leader: Annice Ellington. Service Coordinator: Allen Fisher.
May 30 – Rev. Galaher
The Distant Strains of Triumph Burst Agonized and Clear
Rev. Galaher will present her thoughts on this Memorial
Day service about the experience of war from the view of
the defeated. Lay Leader: Gay Phillips. Service coordinator:
Donnis Doyle.
CONGRATULATIONS,
KATIE AND KEVIN!
Wildflower couple Katie and Kevin Landolt,
married on March 28, take their vows as Rev.
Eliza officiates.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR THE
HOSPITALITY
COMMITTEE
The Hospitality committee, which sets up and
cleans up the coffee every week, needs another
volunteer on the first and second Sundays of
each month for clean up. It takes only about 1520 minutes of your time. It's easy and requires
only one Sunday a month! You do need to be
strong enough to lift a coffee carafe which may
still have a fair amount of coffee in it, off the
cart and into the sink to dump out. And strong
enough to put up the supplies up on a high shelf
in the closet—although often you may be able
to find a volunteer lingering about to help
with this. Otherwise, it's
easy and sometimes,
you get to take leftover
food home! If you are
interested, please contact Cara Harrison at
448-0893.
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NURTURING OUR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
YOUTH DIRECTOR WANTED!
Even though our youth group is small at this point, Wildflower is beginning the process of hiring a
Youth Director for the fall. Why, you ask? Well, the children and youth of Wildflower are a priority
for the congregation. We have children that have been with the church for a long while that are
quickly becoming youth. It has been amazing for me to watch some of these children grow from toddlers to youth! We want these youth to feel a connection with each other, our church, and other
UUs from other churches in the district.
Penny Burnette
The duties of our youth director will include nurturing spiritual growth, leading the Sunday classes and
attending rallies and other district events with the youth where they will experience the wider world of UUs and can
deepen their faith. Our youth director must be at least 25 and not a member of Wildflower.
~Penny Burnette, Director of Religious Education
SCHEDULE
May Class Schedule: Elementary-aged children begin in the service
with their parents and will be sung out to their classes after the
time for all ages about 10:45 a.m.
May 2
May 9
May 16
May 23
Children gather at the annual Spring Family
Campout at Bastrop State Park.
May 30
Pre-K and K–1 at
Starbright
Pre-K and K–1 at
Starbright
Pre-K and K–1 at
Starbright
2nd–4th, 5th–7th, and
8th–12th at SASAC
2nd–4th, 5th–7th, and
8th–12th at SASAC
2nd–4th, 5th–7th, and
8th–12th at SASAC
Pre-K and K–1 at
2nd–4th, 5th–7th, and
8th–12th at SASAC
Starbright
Bon Voyage Party for UU World Travelers
WORLD TRAVELERS NEEDED
Have you traveled to or lived in another country? Have you been to the Grand Canyon or Mount Rushmore?
How about one of the Seven Wonders of the World? If so, please consider sharing your travels with the Children’s Religious Education class this summer.
Each Sunday children “tour” a different country, learn about that country’s culture, religions, and history, and
engage in music and dance, arts and crafts, games and activities led by congregational members/families. The
program is provided by the leaders, called “Tour Guides,” who have volunteered to plan
and lead a Sunday tour, share their knowledge, and brings their travel experiences into the
classroom.
So far, the children will have their “passports” stamped with flag stickers from Europe and
South America. We would love to get to know more world travelers, so if you have lived
in or traveled to another country and would like to share your experiences with Wildflower’s children, please contact Penny Burnette, [email protected] or 447-7994.
Page 5
LIVING OUR VALUES
THIRD ANNUAL WILDFLOWER
CHURCH SPRING CAMPOUT
Forty-three Wildflower members and friends
braved the rainy weather and gathered in the
majestic piney woods of Bastrop State Park
for the third annual Wildflower Church
Spring Campout April 16–18. Campers and
visitors enjoyed hiking, canoeing, biking, and
sliding down muddy river banks, before gathering Saturday evening for a potluck dinner
and campfire sing-a-long.
WESTWARD HO COLORADO
Experience the Rocky Mountain West August 3–9, 2010. Come see the awesome
scenery; ride the cog railway to the top of Pike’s Peak; see the Garden of the Gods;
visit Bent’s Old Fort on the Santa Fe Trail; have dinner on a working cattle ranch;
enjoy a horseback trail ride; see the Royal Gorge; take in Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument; and visit western history and art museums. Enjoy all these activities and more for $850 per person, all inclusive. Airport pickup is provided. Housing
is provided at B&Bs with UU church hosts in Pueblo. Reservations are limited, so
book early. For more details and reservations, contact Pat Spahr, 719-543-5249 or
[email protected]. Host: Unitarian Universalist Church of Pueblo, Colorado.
Pike’s Peak, Colorado
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LEARNING AND CONNECTING
CONTINUING ADULT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION COURSES
Building Your Own Theology (BYOT), May 2, 9, 16, and 23 (sessions 5-8), Sunday, 9:15 to 10:15 a.m., SASAC, Game
Room. This ten-session course continues in May (sessions 9 and 10 are June 6 and 13). BYOT is co-facilitated by
Christian Schmidt and Gerry King, and is designed to provide us with the tools to create our own personal theology
that captures how we want to relate to the great issues of life.
Trauma, Justice and Forgiveness: Historical and Religious Perspectives, May 2, 9, and 16 (sessions 4-6), Sunday, 7 to 9 p.m.,
Adams/King home, 2507 Keepsake Dr., Austin 78745. Rev. Eliza leads the group in discussions about how we move
from trauma to justice, and how forgiveness fits into the journey of healing using writings from theologians, political
activists, and lesser known survivors of trauma from around the world.
Justice, What’s the Right Thing to Do? Book Discussion, May 4 and May 18 (1st and 3rd Tuesdays), 7 to 9 p.m., facilitated
by Gay Patterson and rotating leaders, at the Pattersons’ residence. For more information, call Gay, 447-8829 or
email [email protected].
Common Security Club (CSC), May 16 (final of five sessions), 2:30 to 4 p.m., place to be determined, co-facilitated by
Lois Brown and Michael Stanbury. The topic for this last session will be, “Taking Action Together.” For more information, including meeting location, contact Michael at 422-5787 or [email protected]. You can also visit the
group’s page at www.wildflowerchurch.org/node/190.
Call or e-mail Gerry King for information about our adult religious education programs (Gerry King, 462-9484;
[email protected]). Visit our website www.wildflowerchurch.org to find out more about all of our classes and
Wildflower’s small group ministry. Connection Circles are open to new members as are many Covenant groups.
Also peruse the Affinity group list.
Don’t miss May’s opportunity for Meaningful Conversation on an interesting question. Join our Conversation Café,
Saturday, May 15, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Hampton Branch, Oak Hill Austin Public Library, 5125 Convict Hill Road.
There are no books to read or assignments, just interesting conversation. In early May, the Weekly News will have
information about the Café’s focusing question. For more information, call or email Joan at 454-3160 or
wildflowerconversationcafé@gmail.com.
HANDS ON HOUSING
Austin Area UUs
Before and After!
It’s a wrap! The project is complete with the help of 67 generous
volunteers from San Marcos to Georgetown and everyplace in between. There is a shiny new steel roof so the back half of the
house is no longer uninhabitable. There is a new backdoor with a
deadbolt so the house is secure. The house has been scraped,
primed and painted a beautiful yellow with green trim. We spent
$2,400 on materials and food, ate 12 large pizzas and 50 chicken
sandwiches, 18 bananas, two dozen tangerines and uncountable
other snacks. Mr. Tovar and Dora send their heartfelt thanks.
Special thanks to Jon Montgomery and Beverly Donoghue for
all their hard work making Hands on Housing possible. A special thanks to Chick-fil-A for the wonderful sandwiches! We
made a real difference in someone's life today!
~John Phelps, UU Community Outreach Project
Leader
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Dear Members and Friends of Wildflower Church,
We decided not to purchase the first property we seriously considered for a Spiritual Home of our
Own, but we learned so much from the experience that is providing a rich harvest of lessons to be
applied in future searches.
Jan Austin
During the month of April, the Building, Capital Campaign, and Steering Committees met to compile
a list of what they learned during the search about our strengths and the areas that still need work.
When all of that was compiled, members of those committees joined with Board members to look
at our overall readiness at this time to continue our search. We’ll meet again in May and be ready
to report to the congregation at our Spring Congregational Meeting on May 16.
In the meantime, we have our vital, loving congregation involved in so much that is good. Connections Circles are
thriving, the Listening Ministry is active, our Adult Programs are providing stimulating and well-attended classes to enhance our spiritual growth, and one only has to see and listen to our beautiful children on Sunday mornings to know
what a treasure we have in our Children’s Religious Education programs.
We are a healthy growing congregation, and in everything that we do, that is our greatest strength.
In peace and hope,
~Jan Austin, President
A TABLE BLESSING FOR MAY
May I, together with all beings,
Enjoy the pure taste
Of kind mind,
Joyful mind,
Big mind.
~from The Tassajara Recipe Book
by Edward Espe Brown
COVENANT OF RIGHT RELATIONS
We, the members of Wildflower Church, covenant:
to extend the welcome, hospitality, and acceptance at Wildflower Church that we would wish to receive
to keep the well being of the whole Wildflower Church community at the forefront of our work
to practice caring for one another, especially in times of need
to contribute to the mission of Wildflower Church while practicing self-care and staying mindful of our own
needs
to practice mutual responsibility and shared leadership
to inform ourselves and others about church roles and resources
to engage in direct, respectful communication and active listening, particularly in times of conflict and misunderstanding, and
to honor and celebrate our differences.
In the spirit of openness and transparency, thus do we uphold this covenant.
Page 8
Minister
Rev. Eliza C. Galaher
[email protected]
Director of Religious Education
Penny Burnette
[email protected]
Office Administrator
Dotti Sizer
[email protected]
Church Bookkeeper
Jennifer Almond
[email protected]
Sunday Worship Service and
Children's Religious Education
10:30 a.m.
Most Sunday services held at the
South Austin Senior Activity
Center
3911 Manchaca Road
Austin, Texas
(Located about two blocks north of
Ben White/Hwy. 290)
Website: Please visit our website for
the latest information:
www.wildflowerchurch.org
Message Phone: (512) 428-9464
Wildflower Church Mission
Wildflower Church is a deliberately inclusive, open-minded religious community in the
Unitarian Universalist tradition. We joyfully nurture one another in our lifelong spiritual
journeys, and we commit to transforming ourselves and the world around us through
acts of compassion, love, and social justice.
Email: [email protected]
Office: (not always staffed)
1714 Fortview Road #106
PO Box 40395
Austin, TX 78704-7659
Newsletter Submissions
The deadline for the June issue is May 15.
Send submissions to [email protected].
Newsletter editor: Dotti Sizer
Newsletter copyeditor: Holly Gonzalez
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Send questions and/or comments regarding church matters to [email protected]
Martha Allan, Jan Austin, Steve Brooks, Ray Cooper, Lynn Hubertus, David Hume,
Matthew Markert, Gay Phillips, Jonathan Pratter, and Rev. Eliza Galaher (ex officio)