This Week at UUP: March 13-19, 2008

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


ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

UU Songwriter Jim Scott in Concert
Friday, March 14, 8:00 pm in Santa Rosa
UU songwriter of several songs in our hymnbook, notably Gather the Spirit, is giving a concert Friday night at the Santa Rosa Congregation. His style is a mix of folk, jazz, and world-beat. His concerts are fun and well received.
Did you know . . .
Pete Seeger recently called Jim "...Some kind of a magician"?
Jim was the co-chair of the Seventh Principle Project, the UU ecological group that helped develop the "Green Sanctuary" program for churches to follow to become more ecologically sound?
His work as an environmental and social activist is a major part of his music?
Jim is a magnificent singer-songwriter, who weaves plenty of humor into his songs, and kids and adults all find something to laugh as well as sing about?
Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Tickets available at Copperfields Book Stores, Back Door Disc in Cotati, The Last Record Store in Santa Rosa, Stanroy's Music Center in Santa Rosa, and on-line at www.brownpapertickets.com.

Ric Mastern Update
Ric Masten, the wonderful UU poet/philosopher/troubadour who spoke at UUP last July and wrote "Let It Be a Dance" (in our UU hymnal), is entering a new phase of his life. After fighting and surviving prostate cancer for the last ten years, he has decided to stop treatment and invite hospice to share the rest of his journey. His new book, Going Out Dancing, will be published soon. We hold Ric and his family in our thoughts. Please stop and sign a card for Ric, which will be available at church this Sunday. Or you may email him at debard at earthlink dot net or through his website, ric-masten.net. Cards and notes may be mailed to 37931 Palo Colorado Rd., Carmel, CA 93923. See Jan Crosby at church if you would like to borrow a book of Ric's poetry.

Picnic, Kite Flying AND Wildflower Walk!" Saturday, March 15th
Please join us for an afternoon picnic and kite flying outing to Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol. Noon to 2 p.m. Bring a lunch, kite and good walking shoes if you'd like to enjoy the trails at this great county park. Ellen will also lead a wildflower walk. For directions and further info, visit the Ragle park webpage. Meet at the pond to the left of the main entrance, near the restrooms. If you have extra space in your vehicle or would like to carpool, please contact Leslie Harrison.

Considering Becoming a Member of UUP? The next New Member Welcome is this Sunday, March 16
If you've been attending UUP regularly and have been thinking about joining the congregation as a member, here's your chance! We will hold a new member welcome ceremony during the Sunday service this coming Sunday. For details, please contact David Dodd, for the UUP Membership Committee.

"New to UU" Visitors' Orientation Sunday March 16th from 11:30 to noon
Trying out UUP? Visiting for the first time, or for a while, and want to learn more about our congregation and about Unitarian Universalism? Gather with several UUP members to ask questions you might have, and to hear more about UUP. Meets near the fireplace immediately following the service on the third Sunday of each month.

UUP Adult Forum after service Sunday, March 16th
Topic: What do you want from UUP?
We'll gather in the upper room of the Woman's Club following the service. Bring a beverage!

Time and Talent Auction March 30th noon to 3pm!
Time and Talent is getting close! This Sunday, please pick up donation sheets and fill them out. Please take the time to think about your donations before you arrive so you can fill out the sheets and leave them on the back table. This will help with the organization. The youth will be making and serving lunch, as a fund raiser so they can go to UU District Assembly.
If you can't be there this Sunday, email Dick Allen your proposed donations and he'll fill out the forms. And don't forget, you can make requests. We have a "Wish List" form - dog sitting, golf lessons, date for the movies, weed your garden once a week for a year. Ask for what you want. You never know.

Annual Memorial Day Retreat!
The annual UUP all-community retreat is coming up, May 23-26, at Four Springs Retreat Center in Middletown north of Calistoga. Be sure to look for sign-up sheets in the coming weeks!
ALSO: Be sure to join the committee making the plans, and help put together this wonderful, fun, and very well attended traditional gathering. Interested in adult and/or kids activities? Food? Worship? General Planning? Call or e-mail T Hathaway!

UUP Garage Sale: Save the stuff and Save the date!
The annual UUP religious education garage sale fundraiser will be held later in the year on Saturday, August 23. Please start saving items for this event. Last year's garage sale was very successful thanks to your generous donations.

Don't miss District Assembly 2008!
PCD-UUA
April 25 - 27, 2008, Fremont Marriott
Come join 400 Vibrant and Vital UU's from across the Pacific Central District for a weekend of laughing, learning, worship, meeting old friends and making new ones! Featuring:
Rev. Robert Latham, Saturday Keynote Speaker
Rev. Victoria Safford, Saturday Banquet Speaker
Roy Zimmerman, Satirist (Saturday night)
Over 20 different workshops, 5 levels of child / youth programming, Friday night Opening Worship, the PCD Annual Meeting, and Sunday Closing Worship.
We will meet at the Fremont Marriott, where we have received a Special Rate of only $89/night for this event.
For more information, please see: www.pcd-uua.org and click on the DA2008 link.

UPCOMING 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, March 16, 2008: "Living From the Crossroads -- Choose Carefully"
Guest speaker: Kent McKusick, ministerial student
Worship Leader: Diana Spaulding
Kent McKusick invites us to consider the Hebrew Bible story of Abram and Lot (Genesis 13) when they come to a crossroads (and a decision) on their journey to the Promised Land. As Unitarian Universalists, how might this story relate to the culture of decision making as we navigate our own journeys to beloved community? What consequences await us at the various crossroads of life?
Kent McKusick is a 3rd year Master of Divinity student from Maine at Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley. Next year, he will be the intern minister in Kansas City, MO. Prior to seminary, Kent was active as a lay leader at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Bangor and worked professionally in theatre, recreation (skiing and whitewater rafting), stained glass, and banking. There have been many crossroads!

REGULARLY SCHEDULED GATHERINGS

The UUP Men's Group will meet Friday, March 14th at 7pm at Dick Allen's house.
The UUP Board of Trustees will meet Sunday, March 16th at 8:30 am in the Christian Science building.
UUP Worship Associates meeting Sunday at 12:30 pm at T's office.
Larking About, the UUP Singers, meets on Wednesday evenings from 8 to 9:30 at the home of Diana Spaulding and David Dodd

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION TO "THIS WEEK AT UUP" AND TO THE UUP CALENDAR
If you have an item for "This Week at UUP" (UU or UUP-related only, please), send it to our Administrator, Jennifer Newman at uupetaluma at gmail dot com by Wednesday for inclusion in that week's email newsletter. For information that needs to go on the calendar, please send your event details to the same email address.

www.uupetaluma.org