On Monday, April 15th, 2019, a fire engulfed the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The Cathedral is 850 years old. Bystanders watched and sang hymns as the fire blazed. The fire was finally extinquished and French President Emmanuel Macron, in an address to the nation, promised Parisians that they will "rebuild this cathedral together."
It was reported that one priest, Father Jean-Marc Fournier, braved the blaze to rescue priceless relics and historical treasures from the burning building.Father Fournier served as a military chaplain in Afghanistan as well. It is glad to know that this was not an act of terrorism but an accident possibly linked to extensive renovation works.
I heard those who had visited the Cathedral on vacation express shock, sorrow, and gladness that at least they had the chance to visit it before the fire. Some expressed sadness that this fire occurred during the the season of Lent and during the sacred of days on the Christian Calendar known as "Holy Week." Still others cried out about the lack of empathy and fundraising for the African American churches in Louisiana that burned because of one man's intentional act of racism and arson.
I too am grateful that at least as of this writing there was no loss of life and the wounds sustained by Father Fournier were treated. I salute his courage and the that of the firefighters, as well as the faith of those people who were moved to sing hymns as they watched the firefighters go about their dangerous work.
Yet I am also reminded that everything changes (whether intentionally or by an act of nature or human error). Impermanence is the name of the game and when we can embrace that we can sustain "the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to."
As we leave the spring like weather and approach the season of summer, let us be mindful that change is not something to fear, but something to embrace as we move forward with the seasons of our lives. Nothing lasts forever which is why some people, places, and things, are so precious and are to be appreciated while we have them.
Wishing you all a very Gentle Peace!
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Sunday, May 5, 2019, 11 am
Eric Bannan
“Seeing the Unseen”
Eric Bannan is a husband, father, songwriter, storyteller, U.S. Coast Guard rescue flight crew veteran, back country adventure racer, and cancer survivor. He has a master’s degree in computer science. He has been called to share his art to inspire, motivate for positive change, and build community.
His theme is inspired by the first and seventh U.U. principles. We will explore our connections to the natural world and how they might inform our interactions with our fellow human beings.
Sunday, May 2019, 11 am 
Rev. Michael Carter
"Mother's Day"
I have heard of some ministers who will not even preach a Mother’s Day Sermon or even do a Mother’s Day Service. They feel that Mother’s Day is just a commercial gimmick, a manipulation of our emotions and sentiments by the retailing industry in order to boost profits. Yes, there are lay people who feel the same way I suppose.
I’m not sure I would make such a blanket statement and I feel it is good to celebrate and acknowledge our personal lives in our communities. In our everyday lives we are inundated with a steady diet of bad news, disaster reports, crime stories and statistics, dire predictions of future troubles, economic woes, health warnings, children and spousal abuse, and on and on it goes. The bad news overwhelms the good news most, if not all of the time. Now we’re not talking about being "pollyanna." We know that not everything on the planet is sugar and spice and everything nice. There is bad news, misery, pain and injustices in the world and they must be taken seriously. Let us explore the relationship between mothers and their children. Happy Mother's Day To All!
Sunday, May 19, 2019, 11 am
UUCSV Religious Education Program
"Finding Your Super Power"
The power of the elements, the power of familiarity, or the power of personal discovery. These are powers that our children of all ages have been exploring and discovering.
In this intergenerational service the Religious Education classes will lead our exploration as we discover our Power as individuals as well as a spiritual community. What's your super power?
Discovering you have power is an empowering event. Knowing what to expect leads to feeling secure in your world, which leads you to be willing to explore less tangible concepts when you're 4. Discovering that just a few words can change a person's life is rewarding, especially if you're "only" eight! When the uncertainty of adolescence is upon you, being able to talk through what's important to you and put words to what you feel gives you confidence in your place in the wider world.
Sunday, May 26, 2019, 11 am
Rev. Michael J.S. Carter
“Welcome, Inclusion,
and Renewal”
UUCSV Choir will sing
This is the Kick-Off Worship Service for our Welcoming Congregation Renewal Project since UUCSV was established in 2007 as a Welcoming Congregation. Our members and friends who are LGBTQ+ are valuable members of our church family. We will renew our commitment to support and include this segment of our community in our activities plus some special events over the next six months. Watch for more news!!
 Sunday, June 2, 2019, 11 am
The Memorial Garden Committee"Remembering Well"
Today we will recognize the establishment of a very special garden on our property. In addition to providing a place of remembrance for deceased members, friends, and loved ones of the UUCSV, The Garden is intended to provide a place for you to reflect upon the value of your relationship to and within our congregation. How does your memory of the loss of a loved one fit into your vision of the future? How does the loss of a member of our congregation fit into your vision for the future of our congregation?
We invite you to bring a photograph and/or momento of any of your loved ones who has passed away. We will have an altar at the front of the Sanctuary for the placement of your items.
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For more information, visit: http://uusv.org/sundays/
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Religious Education (RE) News
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Our curriculum year is winding down. Sing to the Power and Spirit Play are done for the year as well as Sharing the Journey.
The children have grown and learned so much this year and I am so thankful (as I am every year) that the parents shared their wonderful children with us!
During the next several weeks you may be seeing some some changes in the RE space as we are working to freshen up the classrooms and make it even more welcoming. A huge thanks goes to Carolyn Shorkey for spearheading this project as well as Heidi Blozan and Jesse Figuera for their work with Carolyn in cleaning and organizing the classrooms.
As you saw above with the service descriptions, the RE service on the 19th will be part curriculum-end celebration, but also a rite of passage as Dorinda Ball bridges from the children's Religious Education program to a more sophisticated phase of her faith development.
Finally, the annual Easter Egg hunt was a rising success! Thank you to the parents and Linda Tatspaugh who assisted with the fun. We had a good turnout out!
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Board of Trustees minutes April 2019
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UUCSV Board of Trustees Meeting April 25, 2019 6:00 pm
Attendees: Michael Carter, Susan Culler, Heidi Blozan, Deb Vingle, Linda Tatsapaugh, Kathryn Coyle and Diane Graham
Old Business
1. Lee Reading went over the P&L and Balance Sheet. We are at 97.% of budget for income and 94.56% of budget for expenses. Susan asked if we have any upcoming expenses and specifically referenced the parking lot. Lee answered that the parking lot would be a capital expense (balance sheet).
The 2019-2020 budget was the next item addressed by Lee. Specifically addressed were pledge income (we met our goal), UUA dues (recently received bill from UUA), increase in Music budget (adding 2nd Sunday), Congregational Care line item add (to address financial needs of the committee), RE budget and RE Part-time Associate. Susan then addressed the Personnel budget (Michael’s increase of 5% - 2% merit and 3% of COL, Michael’s review that occurred today, and other personnel receiving a 3% increase).
Linda asked if we budget for a “cushion.” Lee replied that we have reserves captured in the Balance Sheet. We are carrying a $20,000 balance in checking and also have $61,000 in the Money Market account. Lee also mentioned that asking members to include the UU in their end-of-life plans is a way to fund the contingency account.
Susan shared that she had a discussion with Carolyn Shorkey regarding the upkeep and maintenance of the Memorial Garden. Carolyn shared that the upkeep of the garden would be taken care of through the Memorial Garden fund, and that the Memorial Garden committee would take care of the “grooming” of the garden. Kathryn Coyle will speak to the how the Memorial Garden expenses are represented in our financial statements at the Annual Meeting. Saturday, June 1st is the dedication of the Memorial Garden and the Annual Meeting is June 2nd.
Susan asked for a motion that we approve the budget. Diane Graham motioned and Linda Tatsapaugh seconded the motion.
2. Canvas Report and review. Lee went over this year’s pledge numbers/dollars. He gave a breakdown of what pledges are still to come in, number of new pledges, LYBUNTS (last year but not this year) and gave a comparison to last year’s pledge drive.
Susan went over the summary of responses to the canvas questionnaire. 93 feedback forms were received.
· What do you value most about UUCSV? 80 of the 93 referenced that our “family” is what is valued most, 35 referenced our minister. Social action, music and RE were also mentioned.
· What wishes do you have for the future? The singlemost mentioned item was the growth of our church and how we grow. Behind that were comments regarding the size of our building.
· Do you have any questions? Only 24 people had questions. Jim Carillon said the questions pointed to our need to continue to improve communication.
3. Proposal for Small RE room. Susan asked if anyone had questions regarding the proposal – no questions were raised. Diane motioned to approve and Linda seconded the motion.
4. Welcoming Congregation renewal process. Susan Culler, Jane Carroll and Tina Rosato are on committee. Kick-off is May 26th. There will be many activities in the coming six months – movies, workshops, etc. The intent is to make these activities part of our regular congregational activity, not something extra. There will be two welcoming services planned. Susan asked for ideas for movies, etc – items specifically related to the LGBTQ community. Linda asked for and received clarification that this designation is specific to the LGBTQ community.
5. Bylaw review and approval. Linda read an updated introduction to the bylaws. Linda then went to specific items.
First was the Annual Meeting – real estate and major financial decisions were added. Updates to the wording were suggested – “major financial decisions beyond the scope of the Board of Trustees.”
Second item covered was governance. Responsibilities of the Board were updated. Also added was giving the Board the ability to approve budget changes up to 10%. New structure and order were added – deciding officers ahead of first meeting, designating a time for the Board retreat. Rules for attendance of Board meeting by non-board members were clarified. Specifics of how the Treasurer and Secretary would attend during Executive Session and how notes would be kept during Executive Session were discussed.
Third item covered was term limits. The regular term of office starts July 1 and ends June 30th. Any non-trustee office serves two-year terms and may be re-elected. President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer and Trustees’ duties discussed (came from job descriptions approved by the Board).
Fourth Item covered Trustee attendance. Linda suggested referring to other church’s bylaws for suggestions. Suggested that three missed meetings during a fiscal year, President of the Board will check in with the Board member.
Fifth item covered was committees.
Article IV – Fiscal Year – Clarified to specify that it starts July 1 and ends June 30.
Deb motioned to approve the Bylaws, and Diane seconded motion.
6. Strategic Planning. Timeline provided by Michael Figuera reviewed. Michael provided a list of questions for the committees – he would like help from the liaisons to help him connect with the committees at their next meetings. We discussed what trustees were liaisons for each committee.
7. Annual Meeting. We reviewed Susan’s annual meeting plan and discussed how best to send out the meeting notice and agenda (as well as the proposed bylaws) prior to the meeting. Food, timing in relation to service. Milt will be asked to keep minutes.
Diane let us know that Kathryn Coyle, Robert Tynes, Evan Yanik and Spence Foscue are the nominees for the open board positions. Heidi moved to approve the nominations and Linda seconded the motion. A poster with a photograph and a short bio of each candidate will be made.
8. Liaison reports.
RE reported on updates to the RE room and the decision to remove OWL from next year’s plans.
Congregational Care – two round trips to church and grocery delivery (for one person).
Communications Advisory Group discussed communications issues and how to internally improve and redefine the monthly newsletter because is perceived as being too much like The Current. The goal is to make the newsletter more journalistic, with a new name and a new banner. A contest will be held to rename the newsletter. In addition, it was decided that Myra would be the contact person for any items to be included in the Current, and on the calendar.
SSA – Ginny Moreland is retiring. She put together a full description of the position, and the duties were divided amongst the four remaining members.
9. New Business
French Trip – presentation will be scheduled
Auction – Larry has suggested and has offered to spearhead.
Expectations document (Michael). Our covenant states what we expect from the minister and what we expect of ourselves, but doesn’t go into what the minister can/should expect from the congregation. Michael will work on with Jim Carillon.
Deb is on the schedule to make welcome remarks in May.
May Board meeting is scheduled for May 23rd.
Susan has requested that the June Board meeting be moved to June 20th. New Board members will be invited.
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Larry Pearlman will be performing in the murder mystery dinner theatre presentation of "My Big Fat Italian Wedding Murder" on May 31st and June 1st at The Center for Art & Inspiration in Hendersonville. Details can be found at www.thecenterai.com or by calling 828-697-8547. It promises to be a fun evening!
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Come join us as we honor and celebrate one of the great Renaissance figures in American history with “Moments With Paul”, a musical and spoken portrayal of the world-famous scholar, actor, singer, lawyer, all-American athlete and civil rights activist – Paul Robeson. Produced by United in Music, Inc., the show will be performed at White Horse Black Mountain on Sunday, May 5, 2019 at 7:00 pm.
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Volunteer Opportunity at the Open Table
Cooks needed at the weekly Open Table, a free community lunch every Wednesday 11:30 am - 1 pm, served at Black Mountain United Methodist Church.
The two cooking teams will cook on alternate Wednesdays (may change to Thursdays). Arrive 7:00 - 8:30 am depending on what’s being cooked, leave by 1:15 pm.
Each team will shop at Manna Food Bank at 10:45 am on Monday on the week that they cook. One more person needed to take course and get Food Safety Manager certification.
If you can volunteer for this important community service, please email RobertaMadden@RatifyERA-NC.org.
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On Sunday, June 2, 2019, we will have our UUCSV Annual Meeting. All members and friends are invited to attend this important time in our congregational life. We'll gather in the sanctuary at 12:30 pm, after a cup of coffee and snacks.
We will discuss and vote on three issues:
- four new nominees to the Board of Trustees,
- the new annual budget for fiscal year July 2019-June 2020.
- revisions to the Bylaws.
While friends may attend the meeting, only members can vote. Please watch your email in a few weeks for the meeting agenda and more details. Most important, plan to attend. |
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Murphy Capps 5/2
Alice Wells 5/8
Alton Hancock 5/10
Richard Graham 5/11
Kim Taylor 5/14
Sue Stone 5/20
Julia Jordan 5/25
Emory Underwood 5/25
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Bring your lunch for a discussion time with UU's. Meets May 7th, at noon.
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Why do we have 2 newsletters for UUCSV? Let's change things a bit (says our Board of Trustees.) The monthly publication is going to be focusing more on in-depth articles about church life and feature stories about UUCSVers rather than just give information about upcoming events. That information will be covered more by the Current each week.
AND...we want a new name for this monthly publication that will represent our ideas being shared together. So we're going to have a contest for naming the "new" newsetter starting mid-May. The winner will be announced at our annual meeting June 2. Watch for more details in the coming weeks in the Current.
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Women who wish to celebrate the Goddess with ritual, will meet on Sunday, May 5, 3:00 - 6:00 p.m, at the UUCSV. We will make flower wreaths, dance the Maypole, and sing songs to the young Goddess in ourselves. Bring a snack to share and a small donation. See Linda Metzner or Rebecca Williams for more information.
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Adult R.E. (Religious Education)
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Film Screening scheduled for Thursday, May 2, 5:30 - 7:45 p.m., is What the Bleep Do We Know?, a mind-bending journey where science and spirituality come together. A question: What is reality for you?
Rev. Michael J. S. Carter, moderator.
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...book group meets Thursday, May 2, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Book to be discussed: I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown.
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May’s Friday Fling, a fun party for grown-ups, usually every third Friday of the month, will be held on 17 May at the UUCSV church. Red and white wine will be provided; please bring a potluck dish to share. First movie choice: Chariots of Fire (1981; the inspiring true story of the team that brought Britain one of its greatest sports victories at the 1924 Olympic Games). Second movie choice: Tea with the Dames (2018); Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Eileen Atkins, and Dame Joan Plowright). Potluck begins at 6:30. For further information call Norm Kowal (458-4537).
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The Psi group will meet on May 28 at 1:00 pm (a half hour earlier than usual) to view a presentation by Michael Salla "Celestials & Preparing for (Star Being) Contact." Dr Salla discusses the political implications of advanced entities that are able to transcend space and time through the power of consciousness alone, and who have historically helped humanity deal with the challenges of advanced technologies. In this presentation, he focuses on contemporary cases supporting the existence of celestials. Dr Salla believes that celestials have achieved states of "cosmic" or "unity consciousness" that qualifies them as Type IV civilizations per a typology developed by astrophysicists such as Professor Michio Kaku of Columbia Univ. Dr Salla reveals the risks and opportunities provided by advanced twchnology as humanity learns to integrate these alongside a rapid acceleration in human consciousness.Dr Salla is the author of several books about politics, science, and spirituality of off planet intelligences and their interactions with governments and civilians on earth and is the founder of the website Exopolitics.Org.
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Board of Trustees:
Heidi Blozan
Kathryn Coyle
Susan Culler, President
Diane Graham
Pam Sain
Linda Tatsapaugh, VP
Deb Vingle
Minister,
Rev. Michael Carter,
ex-officio, non-voting
Board Member
Treasurer:
Lee Reading
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For posting UUCSV news for June, please send submissions to newsletter.uucsv@gmail.com by May 25, 2019.
"The Current" is our weekly updated news- published by Myra Shoen, our Administrator, at admin@uusv.org
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This congregation and it's activities all depend upon the efforts of our volunteers. This month's thanks go to the Building and Grounds Committee which spearheaded a deep cleaning inside and out. No more cobwebs! Thanks to Kate Ramsey for heading this up...and the many folks who also did part of this effort. It is such a joy to see a shining little church in the woods.
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In May, our choir will perform on the 26th, which is the kickoff Sunday for our status as a Welcoming Church. Our songs will reflect our pride! We will meet first on the 19th at 12:15, then on Wednesday the 22nd at 7 PM, and at 9:45 on the day of performance, the 26th. Come sing with us, we're lot's of fun! Linda Metzner, choir director
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