beacon (october 2011)

October 2011

The Lowcountry

Beacon Unitarian

Universalist Congregation of the

Lowcountry

A Month of Sundays

Sunday Service: 10:00 am

October 2 “The Truth of Non-Violence”

Rev. Dr. Hall French

October 9 “Just As We Are”

Rev. Manuel Holland

October 16 “Life Inspiring the Artist

In Us All” Harvey Ramseur

October 23

“Still Searching for the Fountain of Youth” Dr. Doris Hammond October 30

“The Hard Path of Social

Justice ” Rev. Lynne Garner

Please plan to attend the ser-vice on Sunday, October 2nd. The guest minister will be the Rev. Dr. Hal French.

Hal was our part-time minister from 1987-1989. He is the re-tired Chairman of the Depart-ment of Religion at the Univer-sity of South Carolina in Colum-bia and continues to teach courses there. Of great interest to us is that Hal is the Chairman of the United States Chapter of the

International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) which will be meeting on Hilton Head the first week in February 2012.

Hal will be speaking about the vital work being done through-out the world by IARF and he will be meeting with some of us to discuss ways in which we can help with and participate in the February IARF Conference.

Rev. Peter Morales, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association will be one of the keynote speakers at the IARF Conference.

The reception at the Arts Cen-ter of Coastal Carolina for the opening of the Peace Poster Exhibit was well attended. The exhibit will be there until Octo-ber 21st. It is in the Bank of America Room on the second floor.

~Manuel Holland, Senior Minister

Standing on the Side of Love in Bluffton and Hilton Head Island for over 30 years.

COMMUNITY WORK DAY Fifth Saturday Breakfast and Community Work Day, spon-sored by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee,

will be held on October 29th at all Saints Episcopal Church on Hilton Head. Come at 6:30 am if you want to help prepare breakfast or arrive at 8:00 am to eat a delicious breakfast and work on community service projects until 12 noon.

2 The Lowcountry Beacon, October 2011


PROGRAMS, MEETINGS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

Board Meeting - Thursday, October 27, 6:30 pm. The monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees is held on the fourth Thursday of each month in the UUCL Clara Barton Conference Room. Visitors are always welcome. Eating Without Meat - Saturday, October 22, 1 - 4 pm. Join us at the UUCL to learn about eating and cooking using healthy and delicious vegetarian foods. Please bring a dish to share. This group was organized this summer by UUCL friends, Barb Ryan & Rick Liss. R.S.V.P. to Cheryl at [email protected]. E-Team - Sunday, October 23, following service. The Environmental Team meets on the 4th Sunday of each month. Knitter’s Circle - Wednesday, October 26 from 6:30 - 8 pm. Meets on the last Wednesday of every month from 6:30-8 pm. We make Prayer Shawls, Comfort Blankets, Wraps, Hats, Baby Clothes, and other items to give to members and friends of the congregation in times of need. You do not have to be a Knitter to be in this group. Our doors are open to those who crochet, quilt, weave, sew, and do macramé. Bring whatever you are working on and come en-joy an evening with good company. For more information call Ann at 422-2598 or email [email protected]. Membership Committee - Wednesday, October 19, 5:30 pm Regularly meets the third Wednesday of each month in the UUCL Clara Barton Conference Room. Newsletter Deadline - Saturday, October 15. The deadline for the Beacon is on the 15th of each month. Items should be emailed to Mary-Michael at [email protected]. UU Animal Ministry - Sunday, October 9, following service. UU Animal Ministry meets the second Sunday of each month. UU Singers - Sundays at 9:30 am. Singers are invited to arrive early before Sunday’s service to practice the hymns for that day. This is the first step to creating a Music Pro-gram here @ UUCL.

FAMILY PROMISE

UUCL’s hosting week for Family Promise begins on Sunday, October 30 and runs through the following Sunday, November 5. Volunteers are needed for set-up and take-down of the guest rooms, dinners, over-night hosting and the organization of Saturday events. For those who are new to our church community, Family Promise is a Beaufort County nonprofit which co-ordinates with local churches to provide overnight lodging, meals and comprehensive support to families who find themselves situationally homeless. UUCL hosts families 4 to 5 times a year. We have help from two support churches but it takes a lot of vol-unteers to staff the week. We hope you will volunteer! To join the team of volunteers, please contact Kathy at email: [email protected] or phone: 836-2892 or John at email: [email protected] or phone: 705-9424.

Dear Members and Friends, The time has come to address our noise problem in our foyer. We have the plan and the costs; how-ever we do not have the funds in our current budget. We are asking for your help in the form of financial contributions to complete this pro-ject. It will be done in two phases, Phase I: Acoustical Tiles on foyer ceiling (contracted)$1200; Phase II: Sound Suppression Wall panels $2000. Total Costs: $3200 The wall panels are 4’ x 8’ feet fab-ric covered acoustical panels. The covering of the panels and hanging will be done by volunteers from our Congregation. If you are able to donate towards this much needed improvement, please notify Dan at [email protected]. Please indi-cate your name and amount of your donation. Once we determine that we have adequate contribu-tions to begin, we will then contact you for your donation. Before you commit to donating to-ward this project please keep in mind that any funds you donate toward the Sound Suppression Project not come at the expense of not meeting pledges or support of our major fundraising silent auc-tion. Both of these sources of funds are essential for our daily operations. Thank you for your consideration. In fellowship, Dan, Treasurer UUCL

mailto:[email protected]


mailto:[email protected]?subject=Beacon%20Newsletter%20Submission






In our newly painted and freshly cleaned rooms, we will offer 3 classes each week. In the Youth Room (1st room on the R), Rea C and our Middle School/High School Youth. They have already begun planning their first event, an overnight at the church scheduled for Friday night, Octo-ber 14th at 7pm. The theme for their “lock in” is: COLOR SHOW. They are planning games and ac-tivities and movies that have to do with being true to your self while honoring diversity at the same time. If you are interested in being an advisor/chaperone, please see Rea C. In the Classroom (2nd room on the R), Janette C, Ann H and our Elementary School aged children. They have already started a program from the Tapestry of Faith called: MORAL TALES. Every day our children go forth into a complex world where they are often faced with difficult decisions and situa-tions. Moral Tales attempts to provide children with the spiritual and ethical tools they will need to make choices and take actions reflective of their Unitarian Universalist beliefs and values.

In the Playroom (rooms on the L), you will find our littlest ones. We have a rotating schedule of vol-unteers who will be providing tender loving care on Sunday Mornings. We have a dynamic RE Committee this year, led by Chairperson Carol W. Other members include: Paul B, Janette C, Rea C, Meg E, Kathleen W and Ann H. Please come down to the RE hallway and see what is going on.

Many thanks to Meg E and Brendan L for donating a 12- passenger van for us to take our kids to the Elementary CON at The Mountain from October 21-23. The theme for the conference at The Mountain is:

Creative Connections: Creative Expression and Art atop the Continental Divide. The workshops offered are:

• Cooking: Recipes of Old Appalachia • Dance Expression/Creative Movement • Batik: Designs in Fabric • Improv Acting and Quick Wittedness • Song Writing: Creating New Music • Sculpture from Found Objects • Drawing: Sketches in Nature

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact: Ann H at 422-2598 or at [email protected]



NEW MEMBER

Elizabeth

Please welcome Elizabeth when you see her around. A long-time friend, Liz recently signed the membership book and became a member of our extended family. A former school teacher and real estate agent, she says she is retired, and that may be, but s h e ' s o n e b u s y l a d y . This mother of three grown chil-dren helps out at the Sun City Library, while being a Literacy Volunteer and singing with the Sun City Chorus. Glad to have y o u w i t h u s L i z !

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

“Come, grow along with us” might well be the slogan of the Membership Committee this year. This hard-working group officially meets on the third Wednesday of every month at 5:30pm at the church. It's a fun committee and everyone gets involved. Members include Ron T, Virginia J, Pat T, Doris H, Anthony S, Marietta K, Kathy B and Kathy Q. There is room for a few more on the committee if there is interest. Contact Ron T at or email: [email protected] or phone: 342-5665.

FINANCIAL REPORT

The first two months of the year find us tracking our budget nicely. We have been able to accomplish several things and still stay within budget. Hopefully, you have seen the major improvements in the appearance of our foyer. All the carpet and tile surfaces were professionally cleaned. We also had the exterior and walkways power washed to rid it of mold buildup. Doug Van Nostran is organizing a cleaning group to better maintain our interior. Please let him know if you are able to participate in that. Once every two weeks is the goal. We are beginning to work on the sound suppression project for the foyer and that will have to depend on donations as we do not have funds for that in the current budget.

Dan Tweel Treasurer

“We acknowledge and affirm the kinship and interdependence of human and

non-human animals, and adopt ethics of interspecies

compassion as an integral component of liberal religion.”

Unitarian Universalist Animal Ministry UUCL Chapter: Inherent Worth of Every Being (IWEB)

IWEB will meet October 9 at 11:30 am following Worship service

For information contact Peggy Tweel at 757-7780 or [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]?subject=Peggy%20Tweel%20Email



BEYOND SUNDAYS UPDATES

Beyond Sundays is working to revive our Book Club that has been very successful for nine years. If you would like to lead this group, we will be glad to help you. A mix of UU’s and others are continuing with the popular Lifelong Learning seminar, “Dreams and the Uncon-scious”. Led by Folly K and Elizabeth N, it will start-up again this fall on October 3rd. The group will meet weekly in the homes of the participants. Currently there is one va-cancy.

A psychodrama group for understanding your strengths and weaknesses (and just plain fun) will start on October 12. It will meet in the UUCL Sanctuary every Wednesday evening from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. Fees are on a sliding scale from one dollar to ten dollars. Guests and newcomers are invited to attend. Folly’s Bead Group will be making necklaces and other jewelry for four weeks starting on Octo-ber 22. Men and children are welcome, Limit of six people. At one previous meeting, Charles Lovely said. “It was wonderful. I brought my daughter and stayed to play.” (Good for Christmas gifts too.) Sign-up for these programs in the Beyond Sundays notebook in the foyer.

CHARLESTON UNITARIAN CHURCH October 8, 2011

Plan now to attend our UU Southeast District conference, "What Works" at the Unitarian Church in Charleston! Conference workshops include:

• How We Got To Be Who We Are: UU History with John Buehrens: • Leadership Development with Anna Olsen, SED Nominating Committee;

Membership Growth and Retention with Jerri Meisner, UUC Beaufort; • Adult and Young Adult Faith Development; • Starting a Parish Nursing Program; • Communications: Within, Among and Beyond Congregations.

Featured speakers include:

Jim Key, President Southeast District Rev. Dr. John Buehrens, Past President UUA

Register at www.surveymonkey.com/s/5dr2flx

until October 1st.

Adults $30 and children under 12, $25.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5dr2flx



The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Lowcountry covenants to affirm and promote:

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;

• Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations;

• Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;

• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;

• The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregation and in the society at large;

• The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;

• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

The Living Tradition Which We Share Draws From Many Sources:

• Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder; affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;

• Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;

• Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspire us in our ethical and spiritual life;

• Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;

• Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;

• Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sa-cred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Lowcountry

Our Mission To enrich and clarify our understanding of religious thought;

to provide experiences for spiritual growth; to encourage and protect the right of individual freedom of belief;

to promote the democratic process in human relations; and to advance these principles for the benefit of each other,

our community and our world.

Committees Aesthetics & Décor Fran Farrell Peggy Tweel Beyond Sundays Folly King Building Maintenance Doug VanNostran Care Committee Dan Tweel Grounds Mary A. Walker Finance Dan Tweel Fund Raising Janice Alden Hospitality & Kitchen Kathleen Mirin Membership Ron Titus

Music Rosalind Ayers Planned Giving Coordinator Rev. Manuel Holland Promotion & Publicity Sandra Rumanek Religious Education Carol Weir Social Activities Libba Beerman Strategic Vision Team Mary Alice Walker Worship Cheryl McCarthy Social Justice Groups: E Team Harry Gregory Family Promise UU Animal Ministry Peggy Tweel Editor Mary-Michael Hanbury

Email: [email protected]

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Lowcounty

110 Malphrus Road Bluffton, SC 29910

(843) 837-3330

[email protected]

www.UULowcountry.org

Office Hours Volunteer Office Staff

Thursdays 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Senior Minister Manuel Holland

Religious Education Ann Harrison

President Peggy Tweel

Leadership Staff



http://www.UULowcountry.org

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OCTOBER 2011 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1

2 9:30 UU Singers 10:00 Worship: “The Truth of Non-Violence” (Rev. Hal French)

Ghandi’s Birthday

3 4

5

6

7 8

9 9:30 UU Singers 10:00 Worship: “Just As We Are” (Rev. Manuel Holland) 11:30 UU Animal Ministry

10

11

12

13

14

15 10 am - 4 pm Board Retreat

November Newsletter Deadline

16 9:30 UU Singers 10:00 Worship: “Life Inspiring the Artist In Us All” (Harvey Ramseur)

17 18

19

5:30 pm Membership Com-mittee

20

21

22

1 pm - 4 pm Eating without Meat

23 9:30 UU Singers 10:00 Worship: “Still Searching for the Fountain of Youth” (Dr. Doris Hammond) 11:30 E-Team 30 9:30 UU Singers 10:00 Worship: “The Hard Path of Social Justice” (Rev. Lynne Garner)

24 31

25 26

6:30 pm Knitter’s Circle

27 6:30 pm Board Meeting

28 29

beacon (october 2011)

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