February 11, 10 AM-2PM: Workshop and potluck lunch at the Nealons’. (This is a schedule change from Feb. 4): “Coping with the Challenges of Living in a Community in Crisis”. 

Please bring a dish to share.

Directions to Nealons’: They are in the rain forest on the road just to the right of Mount Victory Camp. Get there from Mahogany Road onto Route 765 or from the shore road north of Frederiksted onto Creque Dam Road – Route 58. Their road is rough so if you have a low-slung car you probably want to leave it in the Mount Victory parking lot and arrange for someone to pick you up. Drive to the top of the hill and you will see a white  gate and driveway on your right.

There will be another workshop or two while the visiting minister is here. Dates and subjects to be announced.

Newsletter February 2012

FEBRUARY SCHEDULE     

Wednesday 2/1: The Rev. Dr. Qiyamah Rahman, our visiting minister for the month of February, arrives. She will present a sermon each of the four Sundays in February and will lead a couple of workshops. She will stay with Jim and Gail Nealon for the first two weeks, then one week with Sondra Catts and the last week with Emy Thomas. She will have a rental car.

 (WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE TWO WORKSHOPS WHILE SHE IS HERE. PLEASE REPLY TO THIS EMAIL IF YOU HAVE PROVOCATIVE IDEAS FOR WORKSHOPS OR WOULD LIKE TO HOST A DINNER OR OTHER ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE MINISTER.)

Saturday, 2/4: WELCOME THE MINISTER Potluck Lunch and Workshop at the Nealons’ home, 10-2. Subject TBA. (Directions to Nealons’: They are in the rain forest on the road just to the right of Mount Victory Camp. Get there from Mahogany Road onto Route 765 or from the shore road north of Frederiksted onto Creque Dam Road – Route 58. Their road is rough so if you have a low-slung car you probably want to leave it in the Mount Victory parking lot and arrange to be picked up by someone else.)

Sunday 2/5: Service, “A Spiritual Odyssey”, her personal story.

Sunday 2/12: Service, “The Ties That Bind,” a Valentine message.

Sunday 2/19: Service, “Black History from a UU Perspective”.

Sunday 2/26: Service, “Violence Against Women from a Global Perspective.”

Here is Qiyamah’s photo and bio.

Qiyamah A. Rahman currently serves as the Director of Contextual Ministry and Senior Lecturer at Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago, IL. She coordinates field education experiences for seminary students and  helps them navigate the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Credentialing Process that leads to fellowship . She also identifies and matches Teaching Pastors and students in mentoring relationships that enriches the ministerial formation of the students. She also works with community site supervisors in the students experiential service learning and she co-teaches the  Community Studies Sequence during students first years.

Qiyamah received her doctorate from Clark Atlanta University’s Africana Women’s Studies with a major in Women and Development and a minor in Womanist theory. She also has a Masters in Social Work with a minor in administration and a Bachelor’s in Education with a specialization in Social Studies and Psychology from the University of Michigan.

 Her dissertation research , titled, “ By the Shores of Babylon We Wept: An Exploration of the Institutional Response of the Unitarian Universalist Association to Clergy Sexual Misconduct Between 1992 to 2005” focused on her interests with personal and institution. She taught an on-line course in 2009 titled, Unitarianism: A Global Vision,  that included students from Nigeria, Mexico, Argentina, Canada and the United States. She currently teaches a course od n Professional Ministerial Boundaries titled, Safe Congregations:  Exploring and Creating Safe Congregations, which addresses situations that potentially compromise the safety of Unitarian Universalist communities. In addition she draws on her life’s experiences and taps into her deep insights about interpersonal violence, healing and reconciliation. Maintaining quality of life for sassy seniors has become of personal interest as she personally experiences aging.

Qiyamah has several published essays: “Frances Ellen Watkins Harper” in Darkening the Doorways: Black Trailblazers and Missed Opportunities in Unitarian Universalism” by Mark D. Morrison-Reed, ed. Boston: Skinner House Books, 2011.

“Fatima Meer Bio” Encyclopedia of Women in World History (New York: Oxford University Press) 2007. 

“Healthy and Safe Congregations” in The Safe Congregation Handbook: Nurturing Healthy Boundaries in Our Faith Communities by Patricia Hoertdoerfer and Fredric Muir, eds. Boston: Unitarian Universalist Association, 2005, p.1-3.

“In My Sisters’ Gardens: A Celebration of Women’s History Month,” Glorious Women: Award-Winning Sermons about Women ed. by Dorothy May Emerson (New York: iUniverse, Inc. 2004), pgs. 162-169.

“Frances Ellen Watkins Harper,” Standing Before Us: Unitarian Universalist Women and Social Reform 1776-1936 ed. By Dorothy May Emerson (Boston: Skinner House Books, 2000) pgs. 102-105.

Qiyamah is a member at First Unitarian Church of Chicago and served as Visiting Minister at Third Unitarian Church.

Qiyamah served as District Executive for the Southeast District from 1999 to 2005. She is conducting research on the presence of black women in Unitarian, Universalist and Unitarian Universalism.

Her hobbies include movies and traveling. She has three adult children, Libra Malika, Kaleema Haidera and Askia Muhammad Tariq Abdur  , and a grandson, Brandon who is in his freshman year at Pennsylvania State University. She currently lives with her long time companion, Lili, a white long haired cat of dubious pedigree.

The UU Fellowship of St. Croix meets October to May on the second and fourth Sundays at the Jewish Community Center in Hermon Hill (Route 83) at 10 AM. Sunday School is held simultaneously. Refreshments follow the service. All are welcome. For information call Gail Nealon 277-8354 or email her at gailnealon@gmail.com.

JANUARY 2012 CALENDAR

January 8: Service on Crime Stoppers by Guest Speaker Judy Fricks

January 10: Board of Directors Meeting, 5:30 PM at Emy’s house.

January 15: Covenant group meets at Emy’s house, 10 AM

January 22: Service on “Traveling with  Emerson: ‘We take ourselves with us’”  by Guest Speaker Evelyn Barish, Emerson scholar and author.
A friend of Nina York’s, Ms. Baris has written two books on Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Emerson: The Roots of Prophecy” and “Emerson in Italy”; and one on Victorian poet Arthur-Hugh Clough.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF ST. CROIX

Newsletter December 2011

Sunday, Dec. 4: Covenant Group at Emy’s house

 Tuesday, Dec. 6:  Board Meeting at Emy’s house.

 Sunday, Dec. 11: Service and Sunday School, 10 AM, Jewish Community Center.

Guest Speaker: Susan Diverio of the Women’s Coalition’s Project Link, a support group for high school graduates and dropouts.

 Sunday, Dec. 18: Covenant group at Emy’s house.

 Saturday, Dec. 24: Christmas Eve Service, 5-6 PM, Jewish Community Center. “The Christmas Story in Words and Music”

 Sunday, Dec. 25: NO SERVICE

Gail Gives Thanks for a Great Potluck

“Our Annual Thanksgiving potluck was a great success! The food was delicious and flowers beautiful. Thanks for all the help setting up and taking everything down and cleaning up afterwards. That was a big help and we can’t do it without everyone pitching in. What a great group. Much fun was had by all…and the food was delicious.  A special thanks to the Cajun turkey man, Andy Simpson! This is a wonderful way to get to know each other better. And of course, the service was lovely too. Gail.”

A Death in the Family

We are sad to announce the death of Emerson Kolesnikoff, a part-time resident who attended our services with his wife, Barbara Murray, whose beautiful violin playing brightened many winter services. The good news is that Barbara hopes to visit us on her own this winter. Her address is 420 Righters Mill, Gladwyn, PA 19035.

AIMS & PURPOSES:

1. To provide fellowship for persons desiring freedom of thought.

2. To strengthen one another in searching for truth and striving for a growing philosophy.

3. To promote individual freedoms, including, but not restricted to, freedom of thought, expression, the pursuit of happiness and social ministry.

4. To further the democratic process in human relations and to serve the universal human family.

5. To strive for a world fellowship of peace.