Unitarian Universalist
Society of Fairhaven

The Chalice

The Vision Team

The Vision Team is encouraging the submission of ideas from anyone in the congregation who wish their ideas to be considered for inclusion in a 5-year Strategic Plan being developed for the Church. While there is no shortage of “goals” to which we could aspire, the Vision Team has decided to limit the plan to those things which relate to the first two (2) items in the Church’s Vision Statement, which are:

“ We strive for deeper fellowship and spirituality within the Church and we see our membership growing.”

“We endeavor to have abundant financial resources so that we can achieve our mission and program goals.”

It is important that we get input from as many in the congregation as possible so that our strategic plan is one that we can all embrace as we continue to move forward. Please submit any ideas you have to Debra in the church office or e-mail them to Vision Team chairperson, Tracy Carreiro, at eggdog@verizon.net or Jack Dean at jdean1969@aol.com.

Annual Stewardship Drive

Thank you to everyone who has made a financial commitment for the July 2008-June 2009 fiscal year.  We have 117 commitments for a grand total of $ 89,796. There were 10 new pledges which totaled $4910 and 26 pledges were increased. Just the increases from last year's pledges added  up to $4308. 

Anyone who hasn't yet made a financial commitment, please contact Carol Oliva.  

Thanks again for generously supporting the staff, programs, and activities of the church.

 From the Collector

Weekly Offering Envelopes for fiscal 2008-2009 will be available at Coffee Hour in June and again in August.

Summer pledge payments may be sent to the Church Office, attention Collector. 

Cindy Denault, Collector

FINANCIAL HEALTH UPDATE

Our fiscal year (July 2007– June 2008) is finishing up strongly.   Thank you for completing your pledges!  It appears that we will reach our goal of $101,000 in financial commitments! This is the best year we have had in terms of pledged income.  We have also had strong rentals and wedding income.  On the expense side, the biggest deviation from our budgeted amount has been in the utilities area. 

After the fiscal year ends, the Finance Committee will be meeting to review the year, evaluate our banking relationships, and setup some reserve accounts (Staff/Leadership Training).  Please contact me if you have any concerns.

Paige Roth, Treasurer

Green Sanctuary Vision Group

A Reflection on the "Greening" of the Church

Sustainable practices and the reduction of energy consumption can seem like an overwhelming challenge.  Even if you don't link energy reduction to the consequences of global warming, sometimes we are left with the notion that the task of reducing our personal carbon footprint is too complicated and involves too much of an effort through uncomfortable life changes that we can never find a focus point because we can't see any results of our efforts.  In a church setting, the Green Sanctuary process may seem like an extraneous burden imposed on an already over committed group of people who already have their own interests and other spiritual concerns.  If you feel that way let me attempt to ease some of that burden. 

One of the issues the Green Sanctuary manual takes up is that we as a church are already green in many ways.  It is simply a matter of the lens you choose to look through.  The manual uses the idea of a rummage sale as an example of a sustainable activity.  By holding a rummage sale we are recycling clothing and other goods, helping to sustain our fellow humans through the vending of quality goods at inexpensive prices and very small overhead (also transportation cost).  We have also greatly reduced the potential trash transported to the landfill. 

From a spiritual standpoint, by holding a rummage sale, we have probably engaged in or touched on all seven of our purposes and principles!

I think it is also helpful to look around and make note of the changes in our church surroundings.  I'm sure you have all noticed the organic raised bed vegetable garden behind Harrop Center.  We also have a new rain barrel to collect water for irrigation.  Many of you have noticed and use the compost receptacle at coffee hour (we will go over appropriate and inappropriate compostable items for composting later).  Our compact fluorescent bulbs have been in place since last fall.  These changes and countless others large and small can be a way for us to live out our purposes and principles by working collectively to create a sustainable future for ourselves at church and at home.

If you would like to participate in a discussion of activities for the fall and next year, please contact Bill Elliott for more information. We are looking for a social justice project in the community.  Any ideas?

General Assembly

If you can't be at General Assembly this year, GA can come to your desktop or laptop, via streaming media! The UUA GA web staff will bring more than twenty hours of the Fort Lauderdale GA (June 25-29) to you. Visit the link below for live streaming video of the events noted. After the events have passed, archived video will be provided as quickly as we can process the files for permanent access.

See http://www.uua.org/events/generalassembly/2008/112314.shtml for all the details, and for links to technical information needed to view GA on the web! 

Summer Hours

The staff will be on limited work hours beginning June 23.

Voice mail in the church office will be picked up everyday.

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