Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma

The purpose of this congregation is to provide a haven where members can share in a spiritually, culturally, and socially diverse local religious community. We envision a congregation that will be welcoming to all, that values the contributions of each member in shared ministry, and that actively promotes and models individual development of an ethical way of living. We are intentionally intergenerational, and covenant to provide religious education and spiritual growth for children and adults.

Friday, August 24, 2007

This Week at UUP: August 23-29, 2007


The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
An Oasis for Heart and Mind Every Sunday in Downtown Petaluma


For complete up-to-date info on the Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma, see our website: www.uupetaluma.org

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SUNDAY SERVICES

(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am , at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am. )

August 26: Obligations of Enlightenment
Guest speaker: Eric Nelson
Worship Associate: Lara Abel
Are Unitarian Universalists obligated to get involved in social, political, and moral issues such as peacemaking, resistance to hate, and advancement of all people? Eric teaches college part time, and works full time as a peace officer. He lives in Davis with three adopted dogs. Eric regularly presents at a half dozen UU churches in the Pacific Central District. He is a member of the UU church in San Francisco.

September 2: Labor Day
Guest speaker: Meredith Guest
On this Labor Day weekend, let's examine the complex and controversial issue of immigration, particularly illegal immigration and its impact on and implications for America's working class and ask ourselves: When compassion and concerns for social justice collide, how do we decide what to think, feel and do?

September 9: TBA
Guest speaker: Tim Locke
Worship Associate: Elisabeth Hathaway

September 16: Water and Stones Ingathering
Our community regathers following our summertime adventures, whether at home in Petaluma or abroad. Bring water and a stone from your travels, to leave in the common vessels as a symbol of our coming back together for the start of a new church year. Worship Associate: Tony Blake

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Gather your Water and Stones!

During your summer travels near and far, don't forget to gather a small vial of water or a stone for our traditional early September "Water and Stones" service.

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Religious Education Orientation and Planning Meeting

Please join Marlene Abel in a meeting regarding the Religious Education Program for this coming year, immediately after church on August 26 in the Fireside Room, 11:30-12:30. She will provide a light lunch for adults and children, and some our older youth (Amy, Bailey, and Beatrice) will lead the younger kids in games and art activities, and nurture babies and toddlers.

What would you like to see offered for our children and youth this year? Come look at the newly arrived UU Identity Curriculum, the children's songbooks, and plans for social events. Marlene plans to lead a discussion on how we can work together as a community to create the best possible programming for all our kids this year. She'd love to hear your ideas, even if you don't have children in the program. It takes a community............

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Larking About (UUP Singers) Resume Rehearsals

If you like to sing, you are warmly invited to come sing with UUP's own choir, Larking About. We will begin meeting on Tuesday evenings starting on August 28, from 7:30 to 9:30 pm at the home of David Dodd and Diana Spaulding. We will begin working on a piece for the September 16th "Water and Stones Ingathering" service. Suggestions for group performance material are welcome--Larking About works to select and sometimes to arrange its own material, and we perform a wide range of world music from many eras. Past pieces have included diverse works from such sources as jazz composer Bobby McFerrin, Southern Harmony gospel, spirituals, African chants with drumming, Renaissance madrigals, popular songs--you name it!

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Marketing Campaign Launches in September

Donors from 17 Bay Area congregations -- including ours -- raised $300,000 to help others find their faith. Radio commercials will begin airing the week of September 10th and will be followed by TV, direct mail, BART station billboards, print ads in parenting and GLBT-oriented publications, an amazing 4-page, full-color newspaper insert, and more! The ads will direct people to the uuba.org web site, to learn how to find a congregation near them.

Join in the excitement, and let's get ready for company -- let's all watch for visitors, and do everything we can to help them feel comfortable and welcomed. For more detail, see the full UUP Blog article.

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Share your garden

Our October 21st service will be a brunch and sermon about Ethical Eating as a Unitarian Universalist. If you are growing food in your yard and would consider sharing it with UUP for this brunch, please email Stacey Meinzen at stacey at graphicsingreen dot com. Sharing food is a great way to build community and to be sure that your surplus does not go to waste. No food donation is too small.

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Regularly Scheduled Gatherings

- Love All (UUP Tennis Group): Friendly drop-in tennis game Sunday from 1:30-3:30 pm at the Petaluma High School courts.
- Membership Committee Meeting: Monday, 7:30 pm at Elaine and Gene Ellsworth's house
- Book Discussion Group: The group discussing "The Left Hand of God" by Rabbi Michael Lerner will meet again Sunday, Sept. 9th.

If you have changed your email address or would like to be added to or removed from the UUP list, please email us at uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

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Religious Education Update: August 26, 2007

Ministering to Our Children

Today a number of us will be talking about our dreams and plans for the religious education program this year. We will be talking about the essential details such as classes, teachers and activities. We will also be sharing our dreams for what we want for our children: a warm, embracing community, connections to their elders, and knowledge of why our faith matters in this world.

We will also consider that UUP provides a ministry to children, just as it does to adults. Adults often find that their spiritual needs are addressed in worship services, in women’s group meetings, in discussion groups, or in conversation with other UUPers. Children need similar support structures.
In the new children’s hymnal, there is a song, "Then I May Learn", which begins:

When I am frightened, will you reassure me?
When I’m uncertain, will you hold my hand?
Will you be strong for me, sing to me quietly?
Will you share some of your stories with me?
If you will show me compassion,
Then I may learn to care as you do:
Then I may learn to care.

In the second and third verses, the song’s words describe how children learn to give and to love. These noble emotions of caring, giving and loving are central elements of becoming religious in our thoughts and actions. We want our children and youth to care for others and themselves, to give generously of their talents towards creating a better world, and to love the earth and all that is lovely and good.

While the academics of religious education are important, it is even more important for a child or youth to hear, "I want to listen to you, because you’re important to me."

Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education

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Friday, August 17, 2007

Religious Education Update: August 19

Are You Serious?

Last winter, I was sitting with the other second trumpets in the Healdsburg Community Band, when the trumpet player sitting next to me noticed my
t-shirt. Claire read the writing across the front of the shirt, "Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma" and then looked me in the eye and said, "Are you serious?" It wasn’t a good time for a lengthy explanation, as we were rehearsing, so I replied, "Yes, I am. That’s my church."

As a UU, I need to be prepared for the quizzical look. I also think I should be able to articulate my faith with positive beliefs. If I start with seeming negatives, such as that we don’t have a creed, or that most UU’s are not Christians, I will likely puzzle my audience further. I imagine Claire responding, "So, what do you believe?" Here are some positives that I use when talking to our UUP children and youth:

1. UU’s believe that we are born as good people, and that we don’t need to be baptized to remove badness or sin.
2. UU’s have a long history of working to make the world a better place, and have led the fight against slavery, for women’s right to vote, for civil and gay rights, and against many types of injustice.
3. UU’s believe in improving the world today, rather than worrying about what happens after we die.
4. UU’s believe that all life is important and valuable.
5. UU’s believe that the universe is a wonderful gift, and we appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds us.
6. UU’s believe that we can accomplish more working in community than by working alone.

Here’s a challenge: Can you make a statement of your personal faith starting with the words, "I believe...". If we can speak with our children and youth in this way, we model for them a way to be able to explain their faith on the playground or in the cafeteria. That would make being a UU kid just a little easier.

Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education

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Thursday, August 16, 2007

This Week at UUP: August 16-22


The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
An Oasis for Heart and Mind Every Sunday in Downtown Petaluma


For complete up-to-date info on the Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma, see our website: www.uupetaluma.org
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SUNDAY SERVICES

(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am , at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am.)

Sunday, August 19: "Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream"
Guest speaker: Dave Ergo
The "American Dream" has become manic and disconnected, leaving little time to connect with our loved ones and the natural world... and it has even brought us to the brink of environmental and social collapse. This dream of the modern world -- a dream of domination and separation -- has replaced an ancient dream of human integration with Nature and all of creation. But as the dream of the modern world draws to its inevitable close, we have the chance and the challenge to create a new dream that is sustainable, just, and fulfilling.

Sunday, August 26
Guest speaker: Eric Nelson

Sunday, September 2: "Labor Day"
Worship Associate: Meredith Guest
On this Labor Day weekend, let's examine the complex and controversial issue of immigration, particularly illegal immigration and its impact on and implications for America's working class and ask ourselves: When compassion and concerns for social justice collide, how do we decide what to think, feel and do?

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Religious Education Orientation and Planning Meeting

Please join me, Marlene Abel, in an orientation and planning meeting for the Religious Education Program for this coming year, immediately after church on August 26 in the Fireside Room, 11:30-12:30. What would you like to see offered for our children and youth this year? Come look at the newly arrived UU Identity Curriculum, the children's songbooks, and plans for social events. I plan to lead a discussion on how we can work together as a community to create the best possible programming for all our kids this year. Healthy snacks and childcare will be provided. I'd love to hear your ideas, even if you don't have children in the program. It takes a community...........

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Gather your Water and Stones!

During your summer travels near and far, don't forget to gather a small vial of water or a stone for our traditional "Water and Stones" service on September 16th .
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Marketing Campaign Launches in September

Donors from 17 Bay Area congregations -- including ours -- raised $300,000 to help others find their faith. Radio commercials will begin airing the week of September 10th and will be followed by TV, direct mail, BART station billboards, print ads in parenting and GLBT-oriented publications, an amazing 4-page, full-color newspaper insert, and more! The ads will direct people to the www.uuba.org web site, to learn how to find a congregation near them.

Join in the excitement, and let's get ready for company -- let's all watch for visitors, and do everything we can to help them feel comfortable and welcomed. For more detail, see the blog article here.

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UUP Rummage Sale: this Saturday, August 18th!

Come on out for the UUP Rummage Sale this Saturday! Home of KC and Matt Greaney, 8 Nob Hill Terrace. Like to bake? Bring a baked good to sell!

The refreshment stand will raise money specifically for R.E, so we are looking for children to help participate in this endeavor, as well as adults.
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Larking About (UUP Singers) Resume Rehearsals

If you like to sing, you are warmly invited to come sing with UUP's own choir, Larking About. We will begin meeting on Tuesday evenings starting on August 28, from 7:30 to 9:30 pm at the home of David Dodd and Diana Spaulding. We will begin working on a piece for the September 16 "Water and Stones Ingathering" service. Suggestions for group performance material are welcome--Larking About works to select and sometimes to arrange its own material, and we perform a wide range of world music from many eras. Past pieces have included diverse works from such sources as jazz composer Bobby McFerrin, Southern Harmony gospel, spirituals, African chants with drumming, Renaissance madrigals, popular songs--you name it!

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Regularly Scheduled Gatherings

- Book Discussion Group: The group discusses "The Left Hand of God" by Rabbi Michael Lerner after service on Sunday until 1pm in the Upper Room.
- Love All (UUP Tennis Group): Friendly drop-in tennis game Sunday from 1:30-3:30 pm at the Petaluma High School courts.
- Women's Group Meeting: Monday, Aug 20th, 7:30 pm at Jean Conrad's house. Topic: Travel

If you have changed your email address or would like to be added to or removed from the UUP list, please email us at uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

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Wednesday, August 15, 2007

UU Marketing Campaign Set to Launch

Can you believe ... ?

Our non-dogmatic, non-evangelistic denomination is about to begin a $300,000 marketing campaign right here in the Bay Area, to spread "the good news." And the good news is Unitarian Universalism!

The good news is also that we are among the 17 Bay Area UU congregations which will be very visible come mid-September. People from San Jose to Napa, Santa Rosa to Livermore will see and hear about our open, inclusive faith. We've promised to share the details as we get them, and here's what we know now:

The campaign will begin the week of September 10th with a few radio announcements on KQED to warm up our audience.

The media plan includes:

KQED: Four weeks of General Service Announcements on many of your favorite shows --All Things Considered, Morning and Weekend Edition, News, and Prairie Home Companion.

KQKE: Six weeks on Air American with Thom Hartman, a new environmental show called Green Seed Radio and the Progressive News Hour with John Scott.

The Daily Show and Colbert Report on Comedy Central (cable): To attract the young, liberal audience we will run 4 weeks of commercials on this popular show!

Newspaper Inserts: About 400,000 four-page, four-color inserts in the major newspapers the weekend of October 4-7.

Direct Mail: 250,000 oversized postcards sent to households in our market the week of September 24th. Those same households will get the four-page insert mailed directly to their homes the week of October 15th for a one-two punch!

Specialty Publications: Newspaper ads in the major LGBT weekly publication, the Bay Area Reporter, and full-page four-color ads in the following national magazines (we’ve purchased a regional edition) Parents, Parenting, Family Fun and American Baby.

100 "billboards" in BART stations the month of October

Internet: Google ads and web banners on specialty sites.

Guerrilla Marketing: Lots of small ads in newsletters, on the web, etc.

All the ads will direct people to www.uuba.org, a website with some basic information about UUism --and links to the websites of all 17 congregations.

Several people in our congregation have been working hard over this past year to get us ready for company, and now everyone is invited to join the excitement. Let's ask our friends, neighbors, and co-workers if they've seen the ads -- and answer any questions for them. Let's watch for visitors, and do everything we can to help them feel comfortable. We all know how proud we are of our congregation; this is a great chance to help others find what we've found here.

Here's something else to be proud of: the money for this campaign came from 629 members of our local churches. Three other areas have run media campaigns (Kansas City, Houston, and most recently Orange County/South LA). In those cases, the money came from a handful of donors. Ours is the first campaign to raise this much money --and with this breadth of support. Many thanks to all the contributors -- and to the UUA for developing the campaign materials and for providing staff time to support this effort.

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UUP Members in the Community! Virginia Hotz Steenhoven

KC Greaney wrote to let me know that Virginia was named as Santa Rosa Junior College's Employee of the Month for June. She works there as the Intake/Service Facilitator for the Disability Resources Department on the Petaluma Campus.

There's a great article about her on page 6 of the August issue of college staff newsletter, the Insider, which mentions her membership in UUP.

Congratulations, Virginia!

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Saturday, August 11, 2007

Religious Education Update: August 12, 2007

On Vacation

We Americans have a terrible time taking vacation. We work more days than anyone else in the industrialized world, fail to use all the vacation time we’ve earned, and even take our laptaps with us so we can check our emails from work while traveling to exotic locations. Americans earn an average of 12.4 vacation days per year, compared to five weeks for a Japanese worker, or seven weeks for a German. Even with our comparatively low accrual rate, we turn back 1.6 million years’ worth of unused vacation back to our employers each year.

What do we earn from all our diligence? A Framingham Heart Study found that people who take two or more vacations a year cut their risk of a fatal heart attack in half. More and more, employers are realizing that excessive stress is killing their workforce and driving up health care costs.

As we enter the “dog days” of August, what used to be a time of doing nothing more than sitting on the beach and soaking up the sunshine, consider what we gain spiritually from time off. Five year old Eva from our congregation went to camp this summer, and what she remembers most are the shimmery clusters of frog eggs in the creek. She understands that these eggs will become tadpoles and later frogs. I asked her, “What comes first, the frog or the egg?” and she replied, “the frog, of course.”

Eva’s first grade class will likely discuss life cycles this year, and Eva will recall her sense of awe and wonder in discovering egg clusters beneath the redwoods in a sunny creek. While academic lessons provide some useful knowledge, nothing compares to standing ankle deep in a creek to appreciate the blessed gift of life in all its amazing forms.

Happy vacations!

Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education

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Friday, August 10, 2007

Petaluma Bounty Needs Volunteers

UUP Friend Jan Crosby forwarded this to us:

A note from Judy Peterson, Elim member and the Petaluma Bounty Hunters Coordinator:

The bounty has arrived and we are in great need of volunteers in many areas. There are currently several opportunities for posses to pick fruit in Petaluma backyards and in orchards in Sebastopol. The locations will need teams of anywhere from 2-6 people. Ladders and fruit pickers will be required at some sites, as well as boxes or bags to pack the fruit. Petaluma Bounty Hunters has one fruit picker and ladder that can be provided.

Due to the volume of produce we also need drivers to deliver food from Elim and possibly other collection points on Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri. and Sat. to one of five distribution sites in Petaluma. If you do volunteer as a driver we will need a copy of your current driver's license and insurance.

In addition, we need two volunteers every Saturday for the Petaluma Farmers' Market. Petaluma Bounty has an informational table there and we are also recipients of surplus from the farmers and vendors. The market will run through October and is open from 2:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. It is an enjoyable experience meeting people and greeting those you know. Please let me know what activities you are interested in and the times you are available and I will respond with the details.

Thank you for your interest in Petaluma Bounty and a sustainable food system.

Judy Peterson
Petaluma Bounty Hunters Coordinator

To volunteer, please contact Judy directly at: mailto:peterson1004 at earthlink dot net or 707-763-8052

More information on the Petaluma Bounty: www.petalumabounty.org

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This Week at UUP: August 10-15, 2007


The Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma
An Oasis for Heart and Mind Every Sunday in Downtown Petaluma


For complete up-to-date info on the Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma, see our website: www.uupetaluma.org

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SUNDAY SERVICES

(Social time with refreshments begins at 10:00 am , at the Petaluma Woman's Club, 518 B Street. Worship service begins at 10:30 am. )

Sunday, August 12: "Ripples of Reverence and Resiliency"
Guest Speaker: Trathen Heckman.
Worship Associate: Elisabeth Hathaway
Join us for Trathen's return to UUP to share his earth and experience based sense of spirituality, discussing the power of our daily actions: with our movement and breath we can hold the beauty and hurt in our lives and in our world, as we move with inspired action.

Sunday, September 2:
Worship Associate: Meredith Guest
On this Labor Day weekend, let's examine the complex and controversial issue of immigration, particularly illegal immigration and its impact on and implications for America's working class and ask ourselves: When compassion and concerns for social justice collide, how do we decide what to think, feel and do?

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This Weekend is a Share-the-Plate Sunday

In keeping with our commitment to supporting our community, UUP will share its non-pledge offering collected during this Sunday's service with the Petaluma Arts Council. The Petaluma Arts Council is "committed to making the arts accessible to all of our residents and helping Petaluma serve as an example of a community that values its artists and the role they play in the quality of life".

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Gather your Water and Stones!

During your summer travels near and far, don't forget to gather a small vial of water or a stone for our traditional "Water and Stones" service on September 16th.

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UUP Rummage Sale coming next Saturday, August 18th!

Do you have good stuff in your garage or attic that you've been waiting to donate to a good cause? Save it for the UUP Rummage Sale on August 18th. KC Greaney and Diana Spaulding, sale coordinators, ask that you sort your stuff, categorize bags or boxes, and check that everything you donate is in working order. Drop-off items before and after service (9:00 - 10:15 a.m., 12:00-2:00 p.m.) this Sunday, August 12th. Please bring the goods to the home of KC and Matt Greaney, 8 Nob Hill Terrace.Of course you are welcome to drop off at other times, but please contact KC and Matt for this option.

Don't have stuff? You can also participate by working the sale or donating a baked good to sell. The refreshment stand will raise money specifically for R.E., so we are looking for children to help participate in this endeavor, as well as adults. KC is covering liquid refreshments to sell, but we need donated baked goods and, ideally, responsible and enthusiastic kids to work the table to sell them.

Wondering about other ways you can help? Please join us for a sorting/organizing/pricing party at KC and Matt's house after church on Sunday, August 12 (modest lunch provided). Also, we need a volunteer--preferably with a truck--to haul away the stuff that doesn't sell.

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Regularly Scheduled Gatherings

- UUP Board of Trustees Meeting: This Sunday 8:30 am at the Woman's Club
- Book Discussion Group: The group discusses "The Left Hand of God: Healing America's Political and Spiritual Crisis" by Rabbi Michael Lerner directly after service
- Love All (UUP Tennis Group): Friendly drop-in tennis game Sunday from 1:30-3:30 pm at the Petaluma High School courts.
- Women's Group Meeting: next Monday, Aug 20th, 7:30 pm at Jean Conrad's house. Topic: Travel

If you have changed your email address or would like to be added to or removed from the UUP list, please email us at uupetaluma at gmail dot com.

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