Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Pottstown

“What I know for sure is that when you declutter–whether it is your home, your head, or your heart–it is astounding what will flow into that space that will enrich your life.” ~ Peter Walsh

March is the month when Spring begins, and many people start to think of “Spring Cleaning.” The UUFP is no different. After years of accumulating things and then looking for any vacant spot inside the building to store it, the time has come to take a systematic approach to “decluttering” our Fellowship and organizing the items that we want to keep. The first few steps have already been taken. The decision has been made to convert the conference room that is adjacent to the main entrance into a storage room. The first room to be decluttered was the “Teen Room.” All items have been cleared out of the closets and cabinets. Many thanks go out to Kay Price and Mary Ryan who helped to first review each item and then determine if it fell into the Keep, Sell, Donate or Toss pile. Once that was completed, items were moved (or removed) accordingly. The next step will be to give the “Teen Room” a fresh coat of paint and then the work crew will move on to the remaining closets and cabinets in the building. Once we have cleaned them out, we will have a much better feel for our storage needs and available space. The library and Minister’s Office will then be tackled. Simultaneously, Meghan Mickle, our new nursery teacher, is going through the nursery. This is an ongoing process: we didn’t accumulate the clutter in a day, hence it will take some time to declutter. If anyone would like to help, please let me know.

Part of the impetus for doing this is that we now have a new long-term renter of our “Teen Room.” New Earth Traditions is a home-school enrichment program whose mission is to support education and development in a modern-ancestral way. They will be using our space on Wednesdays starting in April. Their teachings are very much in alignment with our UU Principles, so we are very excited to have them. If you would like more information regarding them, please visit their website at www.NewEarthTraditions.com.

Speaking of rentals, please spread the word about the ability to rent our facilities. If you know of anyone that is looking for a space to hold a party (birthday, graduation or retirement), hold a memorial service, host a baby shower or hold a wedding, please mention our beautiful space. All the individual needs to do is contact us at  Rentals@UUPottstown.org. The Rental Coordinator (me) will then handle the rest.

The final bit of new information that I will share is that Ruby Barnthouse has graciously agreed to become the RE Committee Chair. Over the past few years, Ruby has done an outstanding job in serving as our volunteer RE Teacher and building a quality program that children love to attend. Miss Ruby, as she is known to the children, has created a nurturing environment where the children can learn age-appropriate UU lessons. However, the challenge that we now face is two-fold: more children are attending on Sundays and the ages of the children are becoming more disparate. Ruby is already thinking about different ways to engage the “Tween” group. She will be working closely with the Board to develop a plan as to how to expand the RE program to be inclusive and pertinent to all age groups. It is a big task, and we are grateful that she is willing to take this on. Enjoy the Vernal Equinox – or in laymen’s terms – Happy Spring!!

In gratitude, Linda

“Can February March? No, but April May” ~ Unknown.

Even though February is the shortest month, it can also seem like the longest month, depending on how the weather plays out. And so far, our winter can best be described as dreary (hence trying to bring a smile to your face with the opening quote). However, February and March usually hold some surprises for us with some nasty winter storms. It is important to remind everyone, that if our area is impacted by a storm (snow and/or ice), the Board of Directors will decide whether to hold Sunday Services in person on the day before. If in-person services are cancelled, it will be posted on our website and an email will go out. Please note that your safety is important to us. Even if services are being held in person, if you do not feel comfortable driving in the conditions around you, please stay home and join us via Zoom.

With the start of the new year, came some changes to our UUFP family. First, I would like to welcome Meghan Mickle as our new childcare attendant for our nursery. Meghan comes to us with an extensive background in education and we are thrilled to have her. She is in the nursery from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm on Sundays. Please stop in and say hi to her and her little one Hailey. In addition, we have a new Choir Director, Anna Swansun. Anna has a broad background in music, including composition. She has been very generous with her time, volunteering to take on this role. The choir has grown and has never sounded better, thanks to Anna’s expertise.

Our choir is not the only thing that is growing in number. We have had quite a few requests from individuals who would like to become members of the UUFP. If you are interested in becoming a member, please reach out to Miranda Van Horn, head of the Membership Committee to find out more regarding the path to membership. There will be a UU-101 class scheduled in the upcoming weeks for prospective members as well as anyone else who wants to learn more about Unitarian Universalism. Stay tuned for the dates of this class.

Lastly, I would like to address a question that I have been receiving regarding donating to UUFP on-line. More and more people are utilizing that tool for the convenience that it offers. For pledges, you can set up recurring payments, so you never miss a month with your pledge. For Giant Cards, you can pay online and not have to remember to bring a check to the fellowship. The recurring question has to do with the “Fee” that you are asked to see if you would like to add to the total for your transaction. Please note, this fee is a processing fee for any credit card transactions. UUFP is paying that small fee for each credit card transaction. If you chose not to add the cost of the fee to your transaction (and that is understandable), please know that your donation is technically reduced by the fee amount. If you would like to avoid this fee, you can set up payment so that it comes directly from your bank account. (This is how I do it and I have had no issues.) Regardless of how you donate to UUFP (cash, check, online), your donation is greatly appreciated.

With gratitude, Linda K.