The UU News The Unitarian Universalist Society of Iowa City Founded in 1841________________________________________________________________________________

In This IssueMinister’s Column....................................2Religious Education…..............................3Staff Reports.............................................4Upcoming Recurring Events..................4-5Other Upcoming Events........................5Committee Reports & UU News............6-7February Calendar &January Board Highlights.................INSERT

Upcoming Sunday Servicesat Sanctuary Church (2205 E. Grantview Dr #200, Coralville, 52241)

Ingathering & Service: 1:30 pm Social Hour: 2:45 pmChildcare: Nursery: open 1:30 to 3 pm Religious Education Classes: 1:45 pm to 3 pm

February 7th: “Francis David: Faith and Freedom,” Rev. Steven ProtzmanUnitarianism has existed in Romania for more than 350 years. Among its heroes is Francis David, court preacher for the only Unitarian king in history, John Sigismund. As we honor our Partner Church this weekend with the Festival of the First Bread and begin our month of Unitarian Universalist history, we will learn about the legacy of David and Unitarianism in Transylvania, which includes some of our fundamental UU values: freedom, reason, and tolerance.

February 14th: “Calling All UU Superheroes,” Rev. Steven ProtzmanCommissioner Steven has turned on the Chalice Signal: calling all UU Superheroes to come lead us in the work of justice and peace! As we complete our Thirty Days of Love UU social justice holiday, we will gather as a community of all ages to meet UU Superheroes, who will invite us to reflect on the work we have done together and to affirm our commitment to be champions of social justice.

February 2016

February’s Social Justice Offerings BenefitIOWA CITY HOSPICE

“Everyone deserves the best end-of-life care available. For more than 30 years, we have brought comfort and peace, adding life to each day.” Iowa City Hospice provides personalized support to patients, caregivers, and families by highly qualified, experienced staff and many dedicated volunteers. Services include bereavement support and counseling, community education, a speakers bureau, and promotion of advanced care planning. Please help support this well-used agency with cash or checks (written to UUSIC with IC Hospice on memo line) during Sunday offerings or send a check to the office. Thank you.

February 28th: “A Universal Love,” Rev. Steven ProtzmanUniversalism, the belief that a loving God would save all of God’s children (as opposed to the predestination theology of Calvinism) arose as a liberal Christian denomination in the late 1700s and early 1800s in the United States. We will explore the history and theology of Universalism and seek to understand how our Universalist heritage remains a radical idea and challenges us to be inclusive and to welcome everyone into our circle of love.

February 21st: “The Black Empowerment Controversy,” Rev. Steven ProtzmanFollowing the events at Selma in 1965 and the martyrdom of UU Minister James Reeb, the UUA sought to deepen its work for racial justice, but the resulting Black Empowerment Controversy almost divided the denomination. As this congregation continues our journey toward racial justice, we will learn about this tumultuous time in UU history, reflect on the progress we have made as a denomination, and renew our commitment to work for racial justice.

February BirthdaysPlease wish the following members and friends a happy birthday this month!

If you would like your birthday to be published, please contact the office.

Alice Atkinson Sharon Beckman

Susan Boyd Joe Brisben

Lucy Choisser Sue Everly

William Gauger Lila Howe

Kathy Huedepohl

Brigette Ingersoll Betsy KleinNita Kosier

Jim LaughlinCory ManningVirginia Miller Kate Nesbett

Gwendolyn Neumeister Nancy Noyer

Gerald Pearson Jaia Rosenfels Jill Stephenson Stefan Strack

Megan TePoel Peg Voelker

Nora Wittenkeller Adam Wolfe

Sunday Attendance for January 3rd - 24th

January 3rd: 128 total: 116 adults, 12 childrenJanuary 10th: 124 total: 105 adults, 19 childrenJanuary 17th: 124 total: 96 adults, 28 childrenJanuary 24th: 161 total: 143 adults, 18 children

Page 2 February 2016 The UU News

From Your Minister

We sing of the freedoms which martyrs and heroeshave won by their labor, their sorrow, their pain;the oppressed befriending, our ampler hopes defending,their death becomes a triumph, they died not in vain.

We sing of the prophets, the teachers, the dreamers,designers, creators, and workers, and seers;our own lives expanding, our gratitude commanding,their deeds have made immortal their days and their years.

—”We Sing Now Together,” Hymn #67, Singing the Living Tradition

Every February our worship theme here at UUSIC is Unitarian Universalist History. While I try to weave in UU history on a regular basis during the year, in February I use the services to more fully explore our long and very rich history. Our series of history lessons each February begins by telling a story of our European roots. It was in Europe that Unitarianism arose out of the Radical Reformation, an offshoot of the Protestant Reformation, and in Eastern Europe where the Unitarian concepts of freedom of belief, the use of reason, and the tolerance of diverse religious ideas and practices began. This year our story will be about Francis David, court preacher to King John Sigismund, the only Unitarian king in history (so far), as we celebrate the Festival of the First Bread. After we wrap up our Thirty Days of Love observance on February 14th with a service for all ages featuring UU Superheroes who will inspire us to continue to work for justice in the world, we will fast-forward to the 1960s, a tumultuous time of radical social change which included the struggle for Civil Rights. We will learn about James Reeb, a Unitarian minister who was martyred at Selma in 1965, and we’ll examine the UUA Black Empowerment Controversy that occurred in the late 1960s as the UUA joined the struggle for racial justice. Our final history service this month will explore the Universalist part of our spiritual heritage as we meet the men and women who preached the good news of Universalism and we reflect on how Universalism continues to influence Unitarian Universalism today.

If you’d like a good and brief tour of UU history, I recommend the following blog to you: Carl Gregg, A Whirlwind Tour of Liberal Religious History: Compilation (http://www.patheos.com/blogs/carlgregg/2013/01/a-whirlwind-tour-of-liberal-religious-history-compilation). This five-part series begins with the Radical Reformation and finishes with some reflections on the UUA and our congregational polity. It is important to tell these stories of our history to remember that belonging to a free faith, where we can choose what we believe, is a freedom that was hard won. Through the centuries our spiritual ancestors devoted their lives, sometimes even gave their lives, to challenging the status quo and existing systems

of authority, power, and oppression. Telling these stories also challenges us to reflect on how we will carry on the legacy of those who came before us and to ask who we might yet become together. My colleague Rev. James Kubla-Komoto says:

When we reflect on the lives of those who have gone before us, we find inspiration, challenge, comfort, and hope. When we know the ideals they pursued, it gives us inspiration to pursue our own ideals. When we know the risks they faced, it challenges us to take risks ourselves. When we know the setbacks they experienced, it comforts us in our own setbacks. When we know how they overcame those setbacks, it gives us hope that we might too.

Knowing our history deepens our gratitude for our liberal faith and invites us to expand our lives, to live out the call of liberal religion even though it is not an easy thing to do. Mary Lou Anderson says:

We are called to stand in that lonely place between the no longer and the not yet and intentionally make decisions that will bind, forge, move and create history. We are not called to be popular; we are not called to be safe, we are not called to follow. We are the ones called to take risks, we are the ones called to change attitudes; to risk displeasures, we are the ones called to gamble our lives for a better world.

This is what the heroes, the martyrs, the prophets, the teachers, the dreamers of Unitarian Universalism have done through the centuries, and now it is our turn to choose to stand in that place again and again between the no longer and the not yet with a desire to change and create history as they did.

One of the most important places where we need to stand and work to change history is racial justice. I mentioned in my blog that I’ve been receiving messages from the UUA about this year’s Thirty Days of Love. Each week this message shares news of what is happening in our country to bring about racial justice. I am particularly intrigued by the second week’s message about the profound and important work of the North Carolina NAACP and the book The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics and the Rise of the New Justice Movement by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber and Jonathan Wilson-Hargrove. The article offers 14 concrete action steps to mobilize and do this work. Read it at: http://www.standingonthesideoflove.org/ourstories/fourteen-steps-forward-together-for-americas-third-reconstruction. Our Racial Justice study/ACTION Circle is leading us in this work. Will you join us in living out these fourteen steps as we seek to bring about justice and bend the long arc of the Universe toward justice?

As we wrap up our celebration of the Thirty Days of Love and we learn more about UU history, I invite you to reflect on these questions: How is each of us called to be part of this long, rich tradition of freedom, reason and tolerance? Are we willing as individuals, a congregation, and an Association to stand in that place again and again between the no longer and the not yet, to join in the struggle for human progress and to help bring about a new era of human history where there is peace and justice?

Grateful to be here with you as we journey together and we work to build a new way,

Steven

The UU News February 2016 Page 3

From Your Lifespan Religious Education DirectorIn February, UUSIC honors our living tradition’s connection to the past by observing UU history month. As you will see, our past is filled with activists, reformers, and heretics who challenged the conventional and changed the way we practice our faith. The history of UU Religious Education has mirrored that larger context in UU history and greatly changed the fundamental way Religious Education is presented today.

For example, in a time when children learned about God as a vengeful and angry parental figure whose role was to punish sinners, Judith Sargent Murray’s Universalist catechism was radical and revolutionary, not only because of her gender, but also because Murray’s catechism portrayed God as a loving and forgiving being. As the lesson from Tapestry of Faith’s Love Connects Us lifts up, when a child would make a mistake, imagine how a shift from the above to a loving, forgiving God who offered universal salvation would affect that child’s self-esteem and perceptions of self (see the lesson at http://goo.gl/K6zUxp).

In our more recent history, probably the two of the best-known innovators in UU Religious Education, Angus MacLean and Sophia Lyon Fahs, helped shape what we think of contemporary UU Religious Education.

If you grew up UU, or just U, you have probably seen some of Fahs’s work—seg: From Long Ago and Many Lands—and many UU programs still utilize the Neighboring Faiths (now Building Bridges) curriculum based on Fahs’s The Church Across the Street. Even if you are not familiar with these works or MacLean’s The New Era in Religious Education, you can probably recognize MacLean and Fahs’s contributions in our Religious Education classes.

Both MacLean and Fahs were proponents of child-centered religious education. Prior to their work, children were viewed as empty vessels waiting to be filled with truths from their elders. However, Fahs and MacLean recognized that people, including children, learn best through their own experiences. For Fahs, children were more akin to gardens than empty vessels, and for MacLean, the methods in which Religious Education was taught was as, if not more, important than what was taught. So if you walk into a Religious Education class today you will hear questions, not answers; wonderings, not absolutes; and a focus on hands-on learning and exploring as a group, not from a teacher-down perspective.1

While I offer up only a few examples, this movement for transformation and renovation is rooted deep in our history and serves as a touchstone and guiding principle for the work of today’s religious educators. Even as I write this, there are several new programs for religious education being developed—flipped classrooms, workshop-rotation, theme-based ministry, and full-faith week, just to name a few.

Our elementary grades will be joining this rich tradition with a pilot program starting this month. Based on a theme-based ministry model called Spirit Jam created by Katie Covey at the Boulder Valley UU, our K-5 groups will be meeting for a program called Adventures in UU Land. Each week the

group will gather for a check-in and a centering activity or story based on a famous Unitarian, Universalist, or Unitarian Universalist. They will then break off into age-appropriate, small groups for a hands-on activity based on that week’s theme (e.g.: science or building), and then will come back together to share experiences and close.

The hope is this program will help create cross-age friendships and community, best use our teachers and resources during the transition, allow UUSIC members and friends to share their passions with RE, and continue to utilize hands-on experiences to explore life’s big wonderings.

Going Deeper

To learn more about UU History and the innovators mentioned in this article, check out my blog: https://journeyofwonder.wordpress.com/.

Jessica1 http://goo.gl/c59zeh

Page 4 February 2016 The UU News

Upcoming Recurring EventsThe following events meet regularly and all are welcome to attend. Find details on our website or in our Opportunities booklet.

Date(s) Time Event Location Contact RSVP?Mondays 2/8, 15, 22, & 29:

7 pm Buddhist Sangha (Note that we will not be meeting on 2/1 due to the Iowa caucuses)

Oaknoll Brian Glidewell (brianandmark711@msn.com)

No

Tuesday 2/2: 7 pm Social Justice Coordinating Committee

Oakdale House Diane Martin (351-7616) No

Wednesdays 2/3, 9*, 17, 24, 3/2, & 9:

6:30 pm Welcome Home Wednesdays (*Note that WHW will meet on Tuesday 2/9 instead of Wednesday 2/10)

Sanctuary Church Jessica Zimmer-Saltzman (337-3443, education@uusic.org)

Yes

Thursdays 2/4, 11, 18, 25:

7 pm Fireside Choir Rehearsal Sanctuary Church Gloria Corbin (338-5012, music@uusic.org)

No

Sundays 2/7 & 21:

9:30 am Racial Justice study/ACTION Circle Oakdale House Alison Oliver (alison-oliver@uiowa.edu)

No

Sundays 2/7, 14, & 21:

3:15 pm Children’s Choir Rehearsal Sanctuary Church Gloria Corbin No

Monday 2/8: 6 pm Kiirtan Oakdale House Andy Douglas (andy.c.douglas@gmail.com)

No

Monday 2/8: 7:30 pm UU Book Discussion Group (The Lost German Slave Girl by John Bailey)

Oaknoll (735 George St. 4th Floor, Mtg. Rm. A)

Mary Lou Welter (H: 354-1231, C: 361-9805, jayhawkeye@juno.com)

No

Tuesday 2/9: 5 pm Green Sanctuary Committee Oakdale House Deb Schoelerman (594-2373, dschoelerman@gmail.com)

No

Wednesday 2/10:

7 pm Treats & Talents Auction Planning Meeting

Oaknoll (735 George St. 4th Floor, Mtg. Rm. B)

Mary Jepsen (jepsenmary@gmail.com)

No

Thursday 2/11: 6:30 pm UU Board Meeting 105 Iowa Ave. (Suite 231)

Jim Olson (512-0007, jimolson921@gmail.com)

No

Friday 2/12: 11 am Free Lunch Program 1105 Gilbert Ct. Sue and Lee Eberly (susaneberly@outlook.com)

No

Friday 2/12: 5:30 & 6:30 pm

Friends of Friends &

Special Needs Committee

Oakdale House Rochelle Honey-Arcement (rochelle.r.honey@gmail.com)

No

Staff ReportsFrom Your Congregational Life CoordinatorOur transition home at the Sanctuary Community Church has provided an opportunity for redesigning our membership classes. This month, the previous single-session, two-hour evening class will be replaced by a three-part series of single-hour, Sunday afternoon classes. The “Journey of Discovery” series will be held following the worship services on Sundays, February 7th, 14th, and 21st, from 3 to 4 pm in the Sanctuary Church conference room. The classes will be facilitated by Rev. Steven, Membership Associates, and members of the Board of Trustees and the congregation. The New-member Covenant Ceremony and reception will follow two weeks after the last class on Sunday, March 6th.

Going forward, the “Journey of Discovery” series will be held on a quarterly basis with the next classes scheduled for Sundays, April 17th, 24th, and May 1st. A New-member Covenant Ceremony and reception will follow on Sunday, May 15th.

If you are interesting in becoming a UUSIC member, please contact me at membership@uusic.org or 337-3030. You can also sign up at the Welcome Table. All newcomers and friends are welcome to participate.

The monthly introduction to UUism classes, “Welcome to the Journey,” (single, one-hour sessions following the Worship Service) will continue. The next one is scheduled for Sunday, March 13th.

Our recent visitors include Jessica and Jason, Ruth, Amy, Judy, Jasmine and Jenna, Emily and Adam, Darin, Jessica and Jake, Deanna, Diane, Cassie and Jessie, and Troy. We hope you visit us again soon, and we invite you to take part in our many activities. The Membership Associates, located at the Welcome Table on Sunday afternoons, will be happy to tell you about our options and to answer any questions you may have.

The Membership Associates Committee is happy to have Steve Vincent join our team. We look forward to his involvement and creative ideas. —Carol Throckmorton

The UU News February 2016 Page 5

Other Upcoming EventsFestival of the First Bread, February 6thThe Society will hold its 23rd annual Festival of the First Bread in support of our partner church in Janosfalva, Romania, at 6 pm on Saturday, February 6th, at the Sanctuary Church. Janosfalva is ethnically a Hungarian village of 200 in the Transylvanian district of Romania. Its church was first built in 1492 and became a Unitarian church in 1536 when King John Sigismund became the first (and only) Unitarian king.Because the Society is in temporary quarters and in temporary circumstances, the ticket price has been reduced to $20. However, Peg Voelker has been studying Hungarian recipes, and the food, including a vegetarian option, will be superb. Other cooks will prepare salads, and for dessert Sally Hartman will prepare Transylvanian cookies. Gypsy violin music will be provided during dinner by Emma Myers-Verhage and Audrey Adamson.Mary Kathryn Wallace has prepared a program of photographs of the village. A storm struck Janosfalva recently that damaged the church and its parsonage. She will also read a message from Janosfalva’s minister, Rev. Sandor Simo. Tickets are available by contacting Joe Brisben (321-2599 or okiejoe9@gmail.com) or Mary Kathryn Wallace (541-9501 or mkatawall@yahoo.com).

Valentine’s Dance, February 12thUUSIC’s “30 Days of Love” will conclude with a free St. Valentine’s dance to benefit the Center for Worker Justice (CWJ) on Friday, February 12th, from 6:30 to 10 pm on the lower level of the Masonic Temple (312 E. College St.). The Smith Studio Jazz will play a variety of dance tunes from 7 to 9 pm. UUSIC asks for contributions to benefit the CWJ, which unites low-wage workers in eastern Iowa across race and immigration status to achieve social and economic justice. Refreshments including punch, coffee, cake, and cookies will be served. For more information, call Joe Brisben at 321-2599.

Secular Humanists, February 16thOur next meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 16th, at 7:30 pm at Old Brick’s Common Room. Brad McDowell will lead us in discussing Daniel Dennett’s book Breaking the Spell, referring to the “spell” that religion and religious belief has had on civilization for millennia. You don’t need to have read the book to enjoy/participate in the discussion. All are welcome. Contact Mark Yuskis (resdoggie@aol.com) for more information.

Common Fund Benefit to Prevent Homelessness, February 26thThe Consultation of Religious Communities (CRC) will host an evening of music and refreshments at Old Brick on Friday, February 26th, from 7 to 10 pm. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Common Fund of Last Resort, created by the CRC to aid faith communities in equitably distributing funds to those in need. The Common Fund allows faith communities in Johnson County to pool gifts to aid Johnson County residents in need of housing and utility assistance. The Fund is managed through the Emergency Assistance Program at the Crisis Center of Johnson County.In 2015, the Common Fund helped 354 Johnson County families stay secure in their homes with utility service as CRC worked toward its goal of reducing homelessness. Help support this worthy cause and have a fun evening at the same time! Donations will be accepted at the door or may be sent to: Consultation of Religious Communities, PO Box 2025, Iowa City, IA 52244 (“Common Fund” on the memo line).

Upcoming Recurring Events, cont’dSunday 2/14: 10:30 am Vegetarian Community Brunch Trumpet Blossom Café

(310 E. Prentiss Street)Carol Throckmorton (337-3030,carolthrockmorton108@msn.com)

Yes

Sundays 2/14 & 28:

12 pm UU Campus & Young Adults Oakdale House Pete Brokaw (pete.brokaw@gmail.com)

No

Wednesday 2/17:

12:30 pm UU Grief Group Oakdale House Gail Garwood (688-4217, ggarwood42@gmail.com)

No

Thursday 2/18: 1:30 pm UU Scrabble Group Cochran/Choisser’s home (2207 Jessica Lane, Coralville)

Gary Lawrenson (936-1291, glawrenson@mchsi.com)

No

Monday 2/22: 5:15 pm Girls’ Night Out Mekong (5 Sturgis Corner Dr, Ste 100, IC)

Carol Throckmorton Yes

Friday 2/26: 6 pm Vegetarian Community: Vegan Food Product Sampling ($10 fee)

Hy-Vee (1702 Waterfront Dr, IC)

Carol Throckmorton Yes

Journey of Discovery, February 7th, 14th, & 21stOur new-member classes, a three-part series called “Journey of Discovery,” will be held on February 7th, 14th, and 21st, from 3 to 4 pm in the conference room following Sunday afternoon services. If you are interested in learning about Unitarian Universalism and becoming a member of our church, please plan to attend. The membership process will culminate with a New-member Covenant Ceremony on Sunday, March 6th. Contact Carol Throckmorton at membership@uusic.org or 337-3030 to reserve your space in the class series. Participation will be limited to 12 people. Childcare will be available.

Page 6 February 2016 The UU News

Social Justice Coordinating Committee—UUs Serving Together

Capital Campaign Update: Building a New Way, Phase IIIFirst, THANK YOU for making our efforts to build a new church home such a success! Your response has been heartwarming. We have pledged $2,080,591 to the Capital Campaign and over $366,000 to our annual budget—amazing! More importantly, we have grown as a congregation in so many ways as you have shared your stories. We are a stronger congregation with each personal contribution of time, energy and resources.

Second, we are not finished. The Capital Campaign Committee announces the kickoff of Phase III of the Capital Campaign. Building on our exciting success to date, we will be contacting former members and friends who have moved out of the area or been inactive for several years to share the good news of our new facility plans and the opportunity to participate in the Capital Campaign. If you have any names or addresses to share with the committee, please send them to Barbara Haring at b.haring@mchsi.com. Zach Wahls and Katharine Marshall will be honorary co-chairs of a young adult campaign. If you have any names or addresses of young adults who grew up in our

congregation and have moved away, please send them to Vicki Siefers at vsiefers@mchsi.com or Jeffery Ford at jlford36@me.com.

Finally, we are asking for your continued engagement. Our campaign will be a success only when our pledges become contributions. We pledge to shift our focus to stewardship of this important stage of the campaign. If you have any questions or information about your pledge, please contact Jamie Sharp (cjgo05@hotmail.com) or Jeffery Ford (jlford36@me.com). We pledge to keep you informed and resolve any issues that arise.

Committee Reports & UU News

The UU News February 2016 Page 7

Circle of FriendsThank you to all who contributed to the Circle of Friends (immigrant families) by giving gas cards, gift cards, or gifts. The families are very appreciative of the support that UUSIC provides for them. María and Vidal and their children, Maria Carolina, Diana, Siomara, Tania, Nilsa, and Mariana, send their many thanks for the gifts from us. Each year they look forward to King’s Day and spending time with members of the congregation.

Griselda wrote a note saying, “I thank each one of you who took your time to get gifts for us. We are very grateful and happy. May God bless you greatly in this year. Thank you, Griselda, Rey and Jeffrey.”

Covenant GroupsIn January groups pondered “Technology as Tyranny.” Today we can connect with each other in seemingly endless ways thanks to all the devices we own, but are we really “connecting?” Author Thomas Friedman has written about the “backlash brewing against the proliferation of technology in our lives.” Our attention to our work and each other is constantly interrupted by a flow of electronic messages. Sure, it’s cool, but what is it doing to us in the long run?

Our topic this month, “Soul Work,” focuses on racism. Despite the progress of civil rights, racist actions, thoughts, and feelings—some unconscious, some disturbingly deliberate—continue to shape relations between whites and people of color. What feelings does this statement evoke in you? How does the racism of our society affect you? What do you think we need to do to pursue racial justice, both in practical and spiritual terms? These questions are more important for us to consider than ever.

If subjects like these intrigue you, you might be ready to join a covenant group. Groups offer members the opportunity to express their views and deepen their understanding of a wide range of issues, while fostering closer ties to other UUs. If you’d like to learn more about them, please contact Jan Locher (354-6260, locherj@mchsi.com). —Phil Beck

Committee Reports, cont’d

Welcome Home WednesdaysThe Worship Associates are going to take a new, less-structured approach to the mid-week vespers for our Winter 2016 Welcome Home Wednesdays. Starting at 6:30 pm, we will offer a 20-25 minute session for reflection and focusing that may involve music, texts, meditation (guided or silent) or other activities. The sessions will be designed to allow people to join in for 5 to 25 minutes—whenever they arrive before class. We will be meeting in a corner of the sanctuary.

MidAmerica Regional AssemblySave the dates! The annual UUA MidAmerica regional assembly will be in St. Paul, MN, from Friday, April 29th, to Sunday, May 1st. Stay tuned for more information or visit www.midamericauua.org and look for a link to the regional assembly under Resources on the left-hand side of the page.

UNI-CareRemember, we have UNI-Care—a highly valued committee! It consists of many dedicated volunteers who are happy to help members of our congregation when in need. They provide transportation to and from physicians’ appointments and Sunday services, prepare meals for those recovering from an illness or surgery, and assist bereaved families with memorial service receptions. There are also various types of medical equipment items that can be borrowed during recuperation. Marianne Mason serves as transportation coordinator, but we need someone to oversee the other aspects of UNI-Care. If you would like to serve in this manner, please let Carol Throckmorton know (membership@uusic.org or 337-3443). The commitment is low, but the rewards are very high. If you become aware of a need in our community, please notify the office (admin@uusic.org or 337-3443).

Denominational News: UUA Presidential Election The Unitarian Universalist Association’s Presidential Search Committee is pleased to announce that our chosen nominees for UUA President in the 2017 election have accepted our nomination. We nominate the Rev. Alison Miller (Senior Minister, Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, New Jersey, www.alisonforuuapresident.org) and the Rev. Sue Phillips (New England Regional Lead for UUA Field Staff, www.phillipsforpresident.org). The election will take place at the June 2017 UUA General Assembly in New Orleans, LA. Nomination petitions from additional candidates may also be submitted according to the procedures described in the UUA by-laws and rules. The incumbent UUA President will reach the end of his term limit and is not eligible for re-election. The next UUA President will serve a single six-year term and will not be eligible for re-election. For more information: https://uupresidentialsearch.wordpress.com/.

Left: Volunteers organize clothing

and other donations at the Shelter House.

Right: Volunteers knit and crochet string

bags to avoid using plastic as part of a

Green Sanctuary-led project.

Pictures from the January 2016 Day of Service

The UU NewsThe Unitarian Universalist Society of Iowa City2355 Oakdale RoadCoralville, IA 52241

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UUSIC Board of Trustees, 2015-2016President: Jim Olson.............................................. 512-0007 jimolson921@gmail.com

Vice President: Kelly O’Berry.................................541-0326 kelly-oberry@uiowa.edu

Past President: Vicki Siefers.................................. 331-1798 vsiefers@mchsi.com

Secretary: Jeanette Carter......…........................338-5922 montehigh55@gmail.com

Treasurer: Adam Ingersoll...………...….................338-8811 adam.ingersoll@gmail.com

Trustee: Kirk Witzberger…………………............... 325-3425 kirkwitzberger@hotmail.com

Trustee: Steve Vincent....................................847-650-1634 stephen-vincent1@live.com

Trustee: Marianne Mason......................................321-9318 marianne.mason@msn.com

Trustee: Steve Locher............................................331-1863 lochers@mchsi.com

UUSIC StaffWebsite: www.uusic.orgOffice Phone: 319-337-3443Office Open: 2 - 6 Mon. & 8:30 - 2:30 Tues. thru Fri.Minister - Rev. Steven ProtzmanEmail: minister@uusic.orgAdministrator - Emma BarnumEmail: admin@uusic.orgDirector of Lifespan Religious Education - Jessica Zimmer-Saltzman Email: education@uusic.orgCongregational Life Coordinator - Carol ThrockmortonEmail: membership@uusic.orgMusic Director - Gloria L. CorbinEmail: music@uusic.orgAccompanist - Jonathan TauscheckEmail: accompanist@uusic.orgAdministrative Assistant - Bailey KelleyEmail: admin.assistant@uusic.orgNursery Supervisor - Trudy GulletteEmail: nursery@uusic.org

February 2016 The UU News

Our Mission Statement: We are a diverse spiritual community that touches hearts, changes lives, and transforms the world.

Our Vision Statement:Our vision is to be a loving, inclusive, and growing spiritual community. We celebrate life and a liberal tradition that leads social justice work, heals the earth, and nurtures the lifelong journey of mind and spirit.

UUSIC Calendar for February 2016(SC) Sanctuary Church, 2205 E Grantview Dr #200, CV (OH) Oakdale House, 2355 Oakdale Rd, CV (ERC) Eastside Recycling Center, 2401 Scott Blvd SE, IC

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

311:30 PM Ingathering & Service (SC)2:45 PM Social Hour (SC

1 27 PM SJCC (OH)

36:30 PM Welcome Home Wednesdays (SC)

47 PM Choir (SC)

5 66 PM Festival of the First Bread (SC)

79:30 AM Racial Justice study/ACTION Circle (OH)1:30 PM Ingathering & Service (SC)2:45 PM Social Hour (SC)3 PM Journey of Discovery Part 1 (SC)3:15 PM Children’s Choir (SC)

86 PM Kiirtan (OH)7 PM Buddhist Sangha (Oaknoll)7:30 PM UU Book Discussion Group (Oaknoll)

95 PM Green Sanctuary Committee (OH) 6:30 PM Welcome Home Wednesdays (SC)

107 PM Auction Committee (Oaknoll)

116:30 PM Board Meeting (105 Iowa Ave Ste. 231)7 PM Choir (SC)

1211 AM Free Lunch Program (1105 Gilbert Ct.)5:30 PM Friends of Friends & Special Needs Committee (OH)7 PM Valentine’s Dance (Masonic Temple)

13

1410:30 AM Vegetarian Community (Trumpet Blossom)12 PM UU CAYAC (OH)1:30 PM Ingathering & Service (SC)2:45 PM Social Hour (SC)3 PM Journey of Discovery Part 2 (SC)3:15 PM Children’s Choir (SC)

157 PM Buddhist Sangha (Oaknoll)

165:30 PM Communications Committee (OH)7:30 PM Secular Humanists (Old Brick)

1712:30 PM UU Grief Group (OH)6:30 PM Welcome Home Wednesdays (SC)

18 1:30 PM Scrabble Group (Cochran/Choisser’s home) 7 PM Choir (SC)

1912 PM Newsletter Submission Deadline

207:30 PM CUUPs New Moon Gathering (TBD)

219:30 AM Racial Justice study/ACTION Circle (OH)1:30 PM Ingathering & Service (SC)3 PM Journey of Discovery Part 3 (SC)3:15 PM Children’s Choir (SC)

225:15 PM Girls’ Night Out! (Mekong)7 PM Buddhist Sangha (Oaknoll)

23 246:30 PM Welcome Home Wednesdays (SC)

259 AM Newsletter Folding (OH)7 PM Choir (SC)

266 PM Vegetarian Community Vegan Food Sampling (Waterfront Hy-Vee)6 PM CYC Family Fuun Night (Ingersoll’s home)7 PM CRC Common Fund Benefit (Old Brick)

27

2812 PM UU CAYAC (OH)1:30 PM Ingathering & Service (SC)2:45 PM Social Hour (SC)

297 PM Buddhist Sangha (Oaknoll)

17 PM SJCC (OH)

26:30 PM Welcome Home Wednesdays (SC)

35:30 PM Choir (SC)

4 57 PM Sr. High Coffee House (TBD)

Look for new events, updates or cancellations, and event details on the calendar at uusic.org.

Highlights from the UUSIC Board MeetingThursday, January 14th, 2016

The Board met at 6:32 pm in Adam Ingersoll’s office.

• President Olson announced that the congregational meeting on Sunday, January 17th, will consist of a budget presentation and discussion of General Assembly action items.

• The five board members who attended the November new-member meeting were thanked.

• Treasurer Ingersoll went over the proposed 2016 budget, explaining several items that will be increased in 2016. This includes property/liability insurance. It is necessary to determine whether SJCC money from the Endowment was seed money or an ongoing expense. Adam will explain the Annual Spending Allowance at the congregational meeting on the 17th.

• Carol Throckmorton has made up a schedule for the year for new-member classes, which will be held quarterly.

• The Board reviewed both their covenant and goals for 2015/16. Some of the goals have been accomplished; others are in process. One of these is consideration of establishment of a land ministry for the new building site. A review of the Strategic Plan is due in the spring.

• The board moved to recommend Jerry and Carol Nordquist and Jeanette Carter for life membership.

• Rev. Steven presented a staff organization chart. Emma will supervise her assistant, and Jessica will supervise the nursery supervisor and nursery workers.

• Witzberger suggested recruiting a board member to be a “treasurer in training” who would then take the position of treasurer the following year. Siefers will check with the Leadership Development Committee about this possibility.

• The New Facilities Committee meets with Neumann Monson on January 21st, and they will come to the January 24th congregational meeting. The staff will look at the plans in order to give their input.

• A job description for a media liaison and publicity lead who can help UUSIC be more visible in the community was introduced by Witzberger. This would cover our new building advances as well as our various social justice and other activities. This could be one person or several. The possibility of using University interns was discussed, and Witzberger will investigate this avenue with Bailey Kelley.

• In preparation for the annual evaluation of the minister, Rev. Steven presented the evaluation instrument designed in the board’s retreat in March of 2015. The Staff Relations Committee developed the guidelines for the evaluation. The evaluation committee will be appointed by the president in March. This evaluation process was adopted as amended by the board.

• Jessica announced that Welcome Home Wednesday registration is in progress. She also said that copies of the book Just Mercy are available for sale.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:43 pm.—Recorded by Jeanette Carter, Secretary