Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Pottstown

“Others do not define you — you define yourself through your words and actions. ~ Karen Handel

Feedback from the congregational survey administered in the spring was that there was a
desire to learn more about what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist. This month we will be
starting an ongoing series of services where we will explore the new Shared Values outlined in the revised UUA by-laws. These will be interactive services, held the first Sunday of each month, where the lessons and insights on each value will come from each other and not the person standing at the podium. Think Sunday Service “facilitator” instead of “speaker.” We will be discussing topics such as what each value means to us as individuals and as a UU Community, what actions are we (as individuals and as a community) already taking to fulfill the covenant and is there more we could be doing.

With gratitude, Linda

At the recent UUA General Assembly, approximately 80% of the participants voted to accept the revised Article II proposal of the UUA’s by-laws. Excerpts of the press release are contained in this newsletter. If you would like more information regarding this decision, please visit the UUA or UU World website. So how does this impact UUFP?

During the our Annual Congregational Meeting, it was discussed and voted on that our delegates would vote against the proposed changes. There was very strong sentiment that the current Seven Principles were more reflective of who we are and what we do. The good news is that the UUA has been clear that if a congregation wants to keep the Seven Principles, they are free to do so. But is that good news? It certainly makes it more complicated when the national governing body of Unitarian Universalism now defines and grounds the UU community by six values built on the foundation of love, and a local UU community defines and grounds its community in the Seven Principles.

What’s a UU to do?

A decision will need to be made by the UUFP community as to whether to adopt the Six Values. But it will take time to ensure that everyone is informed appropriately to make such a decision. So, the next steps for us will be as follows: first, we will not make any changes to our Order of Service and the Seven Principles will remain on the back. Second, starting in October, the first Sunday service for each month will be spent on exploring the new values. One value will be discussed each month. These services will be structured to ensure that there is dialogue and the opportunity to hear and learn from each other as to what the Values mean to the collective UUFP and to each of us, individually. Once we have reviewed all the values and members feel informed, a vote will be scheduled regarding adoption of the Six Values. Defining who we are and what we do is a critical decision for the UUFP. There is no need to rush such an important decision, our own pianist Carly Schell has made a pretty big one herself.

And speaking of important decisions, our own pianist, Carly Schell, has decided to pursue a degree at West Chester University. While this is exciting news for her, it is sad news for the UUFP because Carly will no longer be able to be our pianist starting in September. Her skill as a pianist created beautiful music that lifted the spirit. She will be greatly missed. Please congratulate Carly as she embarks on the next step of her life’s journey.

With Gratitude, Linda

As was discussed at this month’s Annual Congregational Meeting, it seems safe to say that not only has the UUFP survived the havoc that was caused by COVID, but it seems that we are starting to thrive in the aftermath.

Membership is up, Sunday Service attendance is up, and we finished last year with some financial growth. We are moving forward, and we need to keep that momentum up. But, the Board of Directors cannot do it alone. We need your help. Many of you know that I spent my career in sales and sales-related fields, so I am not shy about asking for things. So here is my ask for you:

• Do your part to spread the word about UUFP. When asked “How was your weekend?”, if appropriate, share about the interesting service you heard on Sunday. You never know who might also find this interesting.
• Spread the word about renting our facility. If anyone you know is looking to hold a party, wedding, celebration, or even a book club, let them know about our facilities. A quick update on one of our current renters, New Earth Traditions. They will be increasing the number of days that they are renting from two to three days per week. In addition, they will be starting an early childhood program and will now be utilizing our nursery. They will be donating their time and materials to redecorate that room. They will be working closely with Valery Murdock, chair of the CYRE committee, and RE teacher Meghan Mickle.
• Think of creative ideas for fundraising. Part of our financial growth this year was income generated by programs created by our members. Thanks go out to Clifford Schulman for holding three cooking sessions that were very successful, and very tasty. Thanks also go out to Monica Buckley for holding creative craft sessions and donating a portion of the proceeds to UUFP.
• If you shop at Giant, please purchase a Giant card through us. We raised over $1,000 just by having people purchase a Giant card and do their routine shopping at a Giant store they are already patronizing. This is easy money for us.
• Commit to interacting with each other in alignment with the UUFP Covenant. While growth and change are exciting, they can also produce stressful situations. We can minimize that stress and reduce the chance of having misunderstandings between people if we adhere to our Covenant.

WithGratitude, Linda