Join us for the Labyrinth walk every three months.
UUFP Labyrinth Walk In the UUFP Sanctuary Saturday, June 16th from 1-4.
Take this opportunity to journal, meditate and reflect while walking our Chartres Style Labyrinth. Betsy Chapman, renowned harpist, will gently accompany the walkers while they traverse the labyrinth. All are Welcome No registration required
For information: President@uupottstown.org or 610-327-2662
Sunday, June 17, 2018
The Three Keys to Contentment Speaker: Marcia Rowe
Marcia Rowe’s spiritual path has taken her from her childhood traditional evangelical church to Universal Sufism. Ms. Rowe will speak about her spiritual journeys, internal and external, and the story of the creation of her book, “The Three Keys to Contentment”. Focusing on Forgiveness, Gratitude and Faith; the concepts are a practical guide for people of all spiritual traditions. The book has received recommendations from psychologists, pastors, folks starting out in life and seniors in their 90’s. Her art career has been spent as a graphic designer, fine artist and muralist. Marcia lives in a farm house in Berks county. 3rd Sunday Potluck will follow the service
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Sticks and stones may break my bones but labels may stay with me forever
Speaker: Linda Kozitzky
Human brains are finely tuned, decision making machines designed to make quick judgements on a wide variety of confusing events. Experts state that stereotypes and labels are not only inevitable, but essential for our survival. Today’s discussion will focus on the upsides and pitfalls of labelling and how to support the UU Principles despite the fact that our brain is a finely tuned label maker.
President’s Message
At this time of the year Committee Chairs are putting together their budgets for the upcoming church fiscal year. Thought is being given to what each committee would like to accomplish in 2018-19 and what that might cost. All will be submitted to the Board for review via our Treasurer, Linda K. Highlights of those plans would be to continue our Sunday Morning RE classes taught by Ethan Turner, installation of a new floor in the RE wing, and reviewed and revised plans for adult programming/ministry based on a survey of fellowship members.
Join us as the Social Action Committee and the Board welcome the Faith Alliance for Pipeline Safety who will present an evening program on Friday the 11th at the Fellowship. As well, our Social Action committee will prepare during the latter part of the month for UUFP’s participation in the Pride Fest to be held on Saturday June 2nd in Phoenixville. The Board voted to support the celebration financially by sponsoring a table at the Fest. Contact Desiree if you’d like to participate.
In keeping with an old Zen saying:
Chop wood.
Carry water.
Attain enlightenment.
Chop wood.
Carry water.
Building and Grounds Committee members are asking you to pitch in on Saturday, May 19th for our annual Spring Clean Up Day!
Our Begin Again programming task force will gear up during May and, even though we haven’t had our first meeting, there are plans afoot for a weekend evening program this month. There is no date set for that event; watch for info on the website and in your Order of Service and listen for announcements at Sunday Service. As well members can expect to share their opinions in a survey about programming and ministry during May.
Finally, the Board is putting together a slate of Board officers and Committee Chairs for the new Fellowship year. If you are looking for an opportunity to serve the Fellowship in a significant way, please contact me. We have a few important positions to fill. And we continue to look for someone to pick up mail and office email on a regular basis. If you have a little free time and are looking for a small but vital way to help this spiritual community, this is the job for you!
Enjoy this busy time of year!
In faith and love, Miranda
Note: Begin Again group will meet on Saturday, May 5th at 3 pm. There will be goodies. All Members and Friends are welcome.
UUFP hosted a presentation given by The Faith Alliance for Pipeline Safety (FAPS). The Faith Alliance for Pipeline Safety (FAPS) is an interfaith network of communities that believe they have a responsibility to take action to protect both vulnerable populations and the natural world from hazardous pipelines. It was founded in response to the Mariner East 2 (ME2) pipeline project and aims to organize people of various faiths to take meaningful action to stop such pipelines from being constructed. I hope you joined us on May, 11th to find out what our congregation and friends are willing to do to help stop these hazardous pipelines from being constructed in our area. Coffee, tea, and light refreshments were served.
For more information about The Faith Alliance for Pipeline Safety please visit https://cbarcom8.wixsite.com/psa2logopage
Desiree Peterman, Social Justice Committee Chair
Sunday, May 6
Uncomfortable Questions Guest Speaker: Reverend Dave Hunter
Rev. Dave will discuss several questions of values, questions of ethics, questions of social policy. Some of these questions may make some of you uncomfortable – at least they make him uncomfortable – or you may ponder them with intellectual detachment. He hopes they will provide food for thought, at least for coffee hour, maybe even beyond.
Sunday, May 13
Flower Communion Guest Speaker: Reverend Kim Wilson
Worship Associate: Miranda Van Horn
Today we welcome Rev. Kim Wilson, who will lead us in the beautiful and meaningful Flower Communion designed in 1923 by Unitarian martyr, Rev. Norbert Capek, founder of the first Unitarian Church in Czechoslovakia, who perished in the Dachau concentration camp in 1942. Rev. Kim Wilson is the Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of the Poconos (another UUFP!). She is involved with the UU Ministers Association, particularly in re-writing guidelines for professional conduct. When not involved in ministry, Rev. Wilson enjoys genealogy, gardening, and yoga. Please bring a cut flower or flowers to the service that day. As you enter the sanctuary you will be asked to place the flower in the community vase. At the end of the service you will receive a flower from those collected that day.
Sunday, May 20
Mind and Heart Guest Speaker: Betsy Chapman Lay Leader: Sally Martin
With all the demands on our time and attention it can be hard to keep calm and carry on in spite of all the advice we’re given. If you’re looking for an easy way to reset priorities and find the time that seems to escape before we notice, The Smile Principle may be the answer! After all, what could be better than a smile? Betsy Chapman will pass on her guidelines for finding balance in a world that moves too fast. Please join us for our Third Sunday Potluck which will follow the service.
Sunday, May 27 Boy, Was I Wrong
Lay Speaker: Mary Ryan
On the Sunday before President Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009, Mary did a service about the culmination of the march from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s to an African American in the White House. It was full of optimism about the future. Fast forward to today and it shows that one thing was forgotten and that, while the arc of history is forward, sometimes there are steps backward before moving forward again. This service will be a review and look at where we are now and where Mary hopes things are heading.
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Easter Sunday On Being Saved Speaker: C.J Rhoads
Unitarian Universalists reject the notion that we need a divine being to save us. But do we truly need to save ourselves, or is there some other force in the universe, a grace, perhaps, that allows us to be saved even if we don’t “deserve” it. How does this force make itself known? How do we find it? While we may have tried to get the savior out of our religion; CJ will propose that we haven’t actually gotten rid of it – but just transformed the notion into a higher level of understanding.