OCTOBER SCHEDULE

(The Fellowship meets at the Jewish Community Center in Hermon Hill (Route 83) the second and fourth Sundays September-May. Services and Sunday School are held at 10 AM.  Refreshments and conversation follow.)

 

Sunday, October 6, 10 AM: Covenant Group at the home of Emy Thomas

Sunday, October 13, 10 AM: ** “Exploring Our Diverse Theologies” **Rev. Qiyamah Rahman. **In preparation for this service Re. Qiyamah requests your assistance. Please go to the following:  (http://www.beliefnet.com/Entertainment/Quizzes/BeliefOMatic.aspx) and click on “get started”. You will have to register so that your results can be sent to you. The 20 brief questions focus on your concept of God, the afterlife, human nature etc. The quiz will tell you what religion (if any) you practice. The results will be sent to you. Please send your quiz results to me at revdocrok@gmail.com by Tuesday, October 8. Your name is optional but along with the quiz results please indicate whether you are: 1. a member, 2. friend (not a member but attend) or 3. visitor. This information will allow me to examine the theologies and ideologies present at UU Fellowship of St. Croix and the percentages represented. Thank you for your cooperation. Rev. Qiyamah**

 

Sunday, October 20, 10 AM: Covenant Group at the home of Emy Thomas

Sunday, October 27, 10 AM: “Sankofa: Using the Past to Inform the Future” Guest Speaker: Linda Hodge

****************

Note from Your Board President

Welcome back everyone. I am excited about a new season with a great selection of program topics and music. It looks like some volunteerism among the fellowship will keep the religious education program active until a more permanent solution is found. Cat Franks tells me that the UU RE curriculum has a very friendly on line component. I will have to look it up. A new committee, Stewardship Committee, was formed at our last board meeting to more formally consider our continuing financial support. You will be reading more in the months to come.

Best regards,

Jim Nealon

President

 

QIYAMAH’S COLUMN 

Fired Up and Ready to Go!

The new 2013/14 Fellowship year has begun and I am fired up and ready to go! Those of you that were not in attendance at our first service on September 8 missed our annual Water Communion. It is a time set aside to reconvene the new Fellowship year with stories of travel, camaraderie and adventures of family and friends over the summer. The September 22 service was special for two reasons, number one, the theme – Reconciliation and Forgiveness, both important spiritual practices which when engaged with consistency and intentionality can open one’s heart to embrace experiences and individuals that connect us to our humanity that might otherwise be impossible. The two poignant and heartbreaking stories I shared depicted individuals that were able to reconcile their personal tragedies and act on their values of forgiveness as taught in their faith traditions. These amazing examples personified the transformative power of love.

Another reason the services were special: Jemille Vialet, our new Fellowship Musician, was present to grace us with his musical talents. We are fortunate that the small island of St. Croix has so many talented musicians. In that same vein, the small but growing Fellowship Choir under the tutelage of Donald Coley continues to explore new music and grow its numbers. Shirley Ziegler, choir member and pianist, is currently off-island taking care of family business and we miss her. We are holding her in our hearts and prayers and await her return. 

Thanks to each of you that were able to attend Margery Tonks’ Celebration of Life held at the Jewish Community Center on Tuesday, September 17, 2013. Marsha Shuman did a fine job having created an experience that reflected Marge’s choices about how she wanted her family and friends to gather to say good-bye. It is hard to believe that we will not see Marge’s smiling face in the pews or in the social hall after service or hear her melodious voice in the choir and her insistent voice reminding us of our commitment to social justice.  I for one will miss the feedback she always had for me about my sermon talks. I think that is why I was able to recently preach a noteless sermon because she had given me her vote of confidence so many times. We are preparing a small Memorial Table in the overflow room with a few of her personal items. If you have something for the table please see me!

As our small community stretches and grows I invite you to think about ways that you can find to be of service. Grab me after service in the social hall or pick up the phone and call me. I want to hear what you are thinking and ways that you might want to be involved. One of our greatest needs right now is for a Religious Education Teacher. We have run ads in the Avis, made announcements during service and generally tapped every option imaginable. Jan Giles, one of our members, has agreed to take on the responsibility once a month temporarily. What I am hoping is that others of you will agree to teach and rotate Sundays. As some of the Sunday Schoolers said at First Unitarian Church of Chicago, “Sunday School is way cool!” If you want to find out for yourself then speak to me after service or call me at 704 458 7676.

See you in service! Rev. Qiyamah

 

P.O. Box 3034, Kingshill, VI 00851 * www.uustcroix.org *

Rev. Qiyamah:  revdocrok@gmail.com 704-458-7676

President Jim Nealon: jimonstx@yahoo.com 340-332-2850