Newsletter

2004 passes into history as 2005 becomes the New Year. Much of 2004 will pass unnoted, much will be lamented. Yet there are also things to be celebrated. There is a sense of something changing that is due to the momentous events of last year. All around the country, in our town and in our Fellowship I feel a renewed sense of responsibility, a feeling that if anything is going to happen it's up to us. During this next year we will help provide opportunities for each member to engage in ways that will feed their passions, enliven their days and help them fulfill their sense of duty in the world.

To help us improve the level of religious education available to all our members, in March we will begin Wednesday night event for all ages. Wednesday nights will begin with a meal, prepared by Fellowship people or a simple catered meal. Next we'll join in a 15 minute service followed by various educational activities; for young people, adults and the whole family (of one to 100). Our interim DRE, Benette Sherman, and I are in the planning phase of this program and welcome your input. If you have a passion for cooking in our new kitchen or if your family or a group of friends would like to contribute a meal let us know. Educational opportunities might include forums, classes, art activities, who knows! In February's newsletter we'll have all the details and plans mapped out.

Also coming in 2005, the Religious Education Task Force will be holding focus groups for specific committees and groups of people as well as open meetings for anyone interested to review their findings and recommendations before they visit the board in March. Please keep your eyes out for information regarding those meetings. Response to the surveys and interviews has been excellent. The task force has a great deal of information on which to base their assessment. The next step will be finding out if members and friends agree with that assessment.

I was talking with a group of our members last month and mentioned that three people had attended the last social responsibility and action committee meeting— and that was a pretty common number for the committee. The long-time member was shocked. Being active and making a difference in our community is often described as an important role for our congregation. Yet it seems we have a difficult time engaging in these activities.

To help better facilitate involvement of our members and friends we're changing the structure of the social action committee. We're moving to a council model. Members of the council will work with specific interest areas, such as human services, environmental issues, political education and activism and others. The council members will meet once a quarter to check schedules and share ideas. Other months the constituent groups will meet to plan activities that all of us can join. This structure will provide more opportunities for us to live our values through the Fellowship and for the Fellowship to be a more active presence in our community.

It is that presence in our community that is crucially important. To help each of us understand important issues facing our community and how we can respond to them from our faith perspective, the Sunday Program Committee is doing a series on social justice throughout the month of January. There are a number of community organizing movements that are just beginning to break through the frosty ground of uncertainty. As these happen I trust that we will be at the forefront, ready to lend a hand in helping to create a better world for ourselves and future generations. Let us step into 2005 hand in hand, arm in arm ready to engage with each other and our larger community to be creative forces for justice.

Brian

It takes conscious effort sometimes as board president to avoid seeing the Fellowship through the prism of tasks that the position demands — putting out small fires here, lighting others there. Those tasks done in service to the Fellowship can be easily confused with the service the Fellowship provides each of us.

In the last several days, I had two particularly meaningful experiences — a trip to Minnesota to replenish some deep connections and a trip to the Barnes-Runquist farm for the solstice celebration. Both offered me poignant reminders of that dichotomy of what we do and who we are.

May you all have opportunities to hold both those pieces in the new year.

Brenda

"To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose". I try to remember and internalize this phrase from Ecclesiastes as an aid in dealing with the coming months of 'full on' winter in Iowa. Winter gives us all some time to slow down, to spend time indoors with families and friends, to read the books we've promised ourselves to read, to enjoy the quiet that snow brings, to come to Fellowship to renew ourselves each Sunday.

I commend all the parents who've brought their kids and teens so consistently in the fall and early winter. Imagine an average of 75 kids and teens among us bringing their warmth and light on a cold winter Sunday. Your purpose in bringing them in this chilly season I can assume is to forge new friendships, to develop a spiritual and ethical life, and to celebrate simply being. As I walked my dogs one morning in December I noticed a huge tree felled by those fierce winds that blew for a few days. The core of the tree was empty, rotting away for years no doubt. It occurred to me how essential it is for young people to have a strong spiritual center in their lives in order to meet adverse challenges with balance and wisdom.

In the coming months we'll be learning about Buddhism, Islam and African spiritual traditions. We hope parents will avail themselves of different ways to learn about what is happening in RE and youth groups. There are frequently notes for parents on the table next to the door that leads upstairs — please check each Sunday and take what is offered. This will enable you to have better conversations about RE with your child. You can also check the UUFA website for further information.

Parents, remember to show your appreciation to the RE teachers by dropping a note or some token in their mailboxes.

Dates to remember:

Children preschool-6th:

Jan. 2--10 AM service with multi-age RE;

Jan.. 9--regular RE resumes

Coming of Age:

Jan. 22 --retreat at Camp Hantesa;

Jan. 26--forum at 6:30

High School:

Jan. 5--Wednesday Youth Group at 7;

Jan. 9--RE resumes;

Jan. 19--youth group;

Jan. 29-30--Kramer con in Cedar Rapids (contact Cole Peiffer or Anita Maher-Lewis)

Blessings for the new year,

Benette

Join an opportunity to learn more about the children of the UUFA! This has been a wonderful tradition at the UUFA, enjoyed by both adults and children. The responsibility of the adult Secret Friend is to write your child Secret Friend once a week starting on Jan. 30, and join your new friend at a luncheon after the 11AM service on Feb. 20. For more information please visit the RE Table Jan. 9, 16 or 23.

Like many other professionals in religious education, I am pursuing a Credentialed Religious Educator status. This self-directed program involves reading 24 books and documenting competency in such activities as lifespan faith development, stewardship, sacred texts, anti-oppression initiatives, UU history, worship, volunteer management, philosophy of RE, and more. The program not only demands time and effort outside of regular job responsibilities but also financial expenses. I also confer with a mentor for an hour each month who provides feedback, direction and support. I'm required to assemble a portfolio that demonstrates how I meet the expectations of the program. This portfolio is examined for approval by the RE credentialing committee, a standing committee within the UUA.

I will be gone in February for about 3 days attending the Meadvillle-Lombard Winter Institute in Madison, WI, and also will attend the PSD annual conference in April. Both of these workshops will meet some of the program requirements. Currently I am about half-way through the reading list and probably have completed documentation of half of the competency requirements. My deadline for completion is August, with a final evaluation in September.

Receiving credentialed status implies a higher degree of knowledge and experience in UU faith development and should be construed as a benefit for congregations. I appreciate your patience and understanding while I participate in this program which may require my absence on a few Sunday mornings.

Benette

Fellowship circles are always open to new members. Three current circles would be happy to welcome you into their group. These circles are opportunities for people to get to know one another, share their lives in a supportive environment and discuss important issues of the day.

One circle will meet Tuesdays, Jan. 11, Feb. 8 and 22, March 22, April 26, and May 24 from 7:30- 9 PM. Please contact Liz Weber if you're interested. Our day-time circle meets every other Monday from 1:30-3PM on Jan. 3, 17, and 31. Susan Franzen will be happy to speak with you if you're interested in joining them. Our third circle next meets on Sun., Jan. 30 from 4-5:30 PM. Contact Todd Krueger for more information about that group.

Circles are a great way for all members and friends to meet others and connect with people you might not get to see on Sunday mornings.

Friday, Jan. 7, will be the first First Friday Family Fellowship Fun night, also known as game night, of 2005. Join us from 6 to 8 PM at the Fellowship for board and card games. Please let the Witherspoons know by 4 PM that day if you want to be part of the pizza count @ $3.50/person.

A new member/information seeker class will be held Sat., Feb. 26, from 9:30-2 PM at the Fellowship. This class will acquaint people with Unitarian Universalist theology, its religious roots in the Jewish and Christian traditions, how we educate our children, our commitment to social justice and the environment, and the workings of our local congregation as it has evolved in the last 60 years in Ames. This class is preparation for becoming a member, but information seekers are welcome. Lunch will be served. Childcare is available upon request. Please sign-up at the Visitors' table, or call Cindy Scholten after January 16.

Financial: In December, the board set Feb. 13, 2005, as a starting date for the annual pledge drive. It also discussed establishment of an endowment for the Dustin Berger library and will begin assembling a group to discuss those arrangements.

Denominational: The board voted to endorse UUA president Bill Sinkford by officially nominating him for a second term.

Other: Brian Eslinger began a discussion of the Wednesday night programming that will begin in March, and board members also learned about the progress of updating our rental policy. Several board members will be part of a workshop designed to tackle many of those rental issues.

The Memorials and Gifts Committee has been established by the UUFA Board of Directors to compassionately assist individuals and families in the UUFA community to memorialize and honor their loved ones through gifts to the Fellowship. In addition, this group will assure that long range plans of the UUFA buildings, grounds, and programming needs are met appropriately through these memorials and gifts. Contact the UUFA Office or any of the four memorials and gifts committee members for guidance and help in this process. Lynn Avant; Kay Berger; Lynne Van Valin; Susan Franzen.

Potlucks will be held the second week in January, the 14th, 15th, and 16th. Bobbie Warman is working with last year's list. If there has been a change, please contact her. Also call her if you wish to be added to the list. We need hosts!

Each week, half of our Sunday offering is shared with a non-profit agency in recognition of our place in the greater community.

During January, we will be supporting the Emergency Residence Project. ERP is the local homeless shelter in Story County. They also help low-income citizens with rent, utilities, and other needs.

Reminder: If you want your Sunday offering check to count toward your pledge (either operating budget or building fund), please write that on the memo line of your check. Any undesignated checks will be counted 1/2 toward the operating budget and 1/2 toward the charitable organization of the month.

In January, WOW will meet on the 2nd Monday, Jan. 10, at 7 PM in the library. To join us for more information, contact Lynn Avant or Carole Kazmierski.

This group will meet Jan. 4 & 18 from 7-9 PM at the Fellowship. New members are welcome.

We are serving fair trade coffee every Sunday now.  For additional information, see the coffee table.

UU Women's Book Group will meet Mon., Jan. 3 at 7 PM in the UUFA Tower Room. We will discuss children's books by various authors. Ours is an open group, and we welcome new members at any time. Meetings are held the first Monday of each month. Please join us in our lively discussions. Barbi Greenlaw.

2/7/05 Song of the Exile, Kiana Davenport
3/7/05 The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, Anne Fadiman
4/4/05 Unless, Carol Shields
5/2/05 Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseni
6/6/05 In the Lake of the Woods, Tim O'Brien

The library committee hopes Fellowship members have a chance to visit the Dustin Berger Memorial Library in the near future. The committee has been working to inventory all books and to assign Dewey Decimal Numbers. You can check out books by signing them out on the clipboard located on one of the shelves. Eventually the books will have pockets and check out cards which we hope will allow us to keep track of our books more efficiently.

The library is a sunny, quiet place where you are welcome to relax with a book or magazine, or simply visit quietly with one another. You may remember that Fellowship members Fritz Franzen and Ken Lane donated time and talents to build the library shelving and desk, and that Chad Eells built the tables. We are thankful to them for helping to create a beautiful space. We also have new chairs for the youngest ones among us and a new bookcase for children's books.

We've also ordered racks to display magazines we think will be of interest to our members and reflective of our mission and UU principles. At this time, we will not be buying subscriptions to magazines but hope to rely on Fellowship members or friends to donate magazines. We think the following magazines would be of use to our members: Tricycle ( a Buddhist magazine), Parabola (pertains to myth and mean ing), YES (created by Positive Future Network), UU World (of course!), The Humanist, the Utne Reader, Yoga Journal, Sun, The Progressive, Mother Jones, New Moon, Shambala Sun, Sierra, Science and Religion. You may have some other ideas for magazines that you would love to share, but please keep in mind that young people will have access to them. If you have doubts about the appropriateness of a magazine please consult with library committee members (Roger Berger, Anita Beal, Barb Abbott, Benette Sherman, Tom Muhlenbruch, Greg Wool).

Our committee has planned a workday for Jan. 8 at 10:30. We will be labeling books, cleaning and arranging, putting pockets in books and more. We invite all of you to join us for 1-2 hours.

—The Library Committee

Dianne and Dick Mumm for help with newsletter labels.

Ray Strah for shoveling snow.

UU Women's Book Group will read children's books by various authors for  the Jan. 3 meeting. We will meet in the Tower Room at 7 PM. Call or email Barbi Greenlaw. Ours is an open group, and we welcome new members at any time.

Future meetings will be held the first Monday of each month on: Feb. 7, Mar. 7, Apr. 4, May 2 and June 6.

Art Exhibition Committee: Contact Ellen Wool, 292-5960, uufa@uufames.org, or Jean Hagert Dow.

Caring and Human Concerns Committee: Coordinates the caring efforts of the congregation during members' times of personal crisis and celebration. This includes visits and phone calls; sending flowers, cards and food; transportation or emergency help with child care or grocery shopping. The committee will also provide a list of individuals or agencies helping with a specific need. Please call Trish Strah or Lynne Van Valin if we can assist you.

Social Action & Responsibility Committee: 7 PM, Jan. 19. All are welcome.

Archives Committee: Please contact interim chair Susan Franzen.

Historical Jesus Group meets the 3rd Sunday of each month at 7 PM. Please call Marty Helland for specifics. Beginning in January, the group will read In Search of Paul by John Dominic Crossan.

Morning Meditation meets regularly each Tuesday and Thursday at 7 AM in Fellowship Hall for a 40-minute sitting session.

Items most needed include canned vegetables, protein beans (pork and beans, baked beans, chili beans, etc.), canned soup, boxed meals, rice, boxed potatoes, stuffing, crackers, and spaghetti sauce. We are also in need of diapers (sizes 4, 5, and 6). For more information, please call Alissa Stoehr, MICA Food Pantry Coordinator.

Camp UniStar is a Unitarian Universalist family camp on a remote national forest island in northern Minnesota. As always, we are particularly interested in recruiting UUs looking for a summer of good old fashioned hard work and fun within our commonwealth of families. A high work ethic, an elastic temperament, and a responsible and caring character are most desired.

If you're interested, please contact us with any questions or to request an application. Application deadline is Jan. 31. A flyer with more information is on the bulletin board in the Fireside Room.

Are you concerned about issues of racism, war, and poverty? About preserving our civil liberties and reclaiming our commitment to justice? Come to the Ames Community Gathering to engage the challenges of Martin Luther King Jr., at 3 PM on Sun., Jan. 16, at Collegiate United Methodist Church.

We will remember and reclaim Dr. King's vision, words, and action which remain relevant for us at this time in history. Among the persons leading us in the reflection, dialogue and action are: Steve Aigner, Brian Eslinger, Adela Licona, Bev Reddick, Derrick Rollins, Mary Sawyer, and Carlie Tartakov.

Please join us in moving our bodies and souls, our minds and hearts as we seek to create a world of peace, compassion, and justice.

Bev Reddick, Church and Community Worker
Interfaith Economic Justice Initiative
2622 W. Lincoln Way
Ames, Iowa 50014

The UU Women's Writing Group will meet Mon., Jan. 10 at 7 PM in the Tower Room. Please submit your writing to the email list a week or more before that date so the group can review the writing. Our meetings for this year are the second Monday of the month. Please pencil these dates in your calendar: February 14, March 14, April 11, May 9. Contact Barbi Greenlaw.

On Sat., Mar. 26, 2005, the UUFA will present Jim Scott in an intergenerational choral workshop. Save your afternoon and evening and then plan on singing during the services on March 27.

Many people know Jim Scott as a member of the Paul Winter Consort. Jim has a long connection with UUs. His hymn "Gather the Spirit" is one of our favorites! He is known for his lyrical songs of nature and peace, sparked with humor. We will all find something to laugh as well as sing about during our time with this master musician.

Do a Google search if you need to think twice about this wonderful opportunity.

Call Cynthia Marten, Brian Eslinger, or Peggy Earnshaw if you have questions.

Mid-Iowa Community Action, Inc. (MICA) is looking for volunteers to help in the food pantry. We need help stocking shelves, bringing over donations from our storage area to the pantry, and filling bags for families. We also need people to help file in the office. If you are interested in either or both of these opportunities, please contact Alissa Stoehr, MICA Food Pantry Coordinator.

Will all committee chairs, whether you're a committee of one or many, please work through and clean out your mailboxes. Social Responsibility & Action and Space Cadets are especially full.

UUFA Recorder group rehearses Fridays at 1:30 PM in Fellowship Hall. Please contact Peggy Earnshaw for more information.

The Art Committee has contributed over $960 to the Operating Fund since September. That amount includes Prints from Bill Zimmerman, the Art Sale and the Silent Auction.

COMING IN JANUARY: New exhibit by Cindy Gould — fibers and mixed media.

A steering committee will get behind the wheel of the UUFA annual pledge drive on Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Dustin Berger Memorial Library at UUFA.

This year's drive, which will kick off in February, will emphasize giving as a spiritual act, as we support programs that promote our principles beyond our doors, providing a beacon at a time when liberal religion is more important than ever. We'll also consider how our annual giving reflects our ongoing commitment to our community within.

Please join us Jan. 4 to learn how you can help make this annual appeal more...appealing! Many hands make light work. Many hearts make lighthearted work.

Questions? Call Ginny and Stu Huntington... before they call you!

The Association of Universalist Women and First Universalist Church in Minneapolis invite members and friends of Unitarian Universalist congregations throughout the Prairie Star District to welcome Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker on Jan. 29 and 30.

Rev. Dr. Parker, President of Starr King School for the Ministry is a nationally known scholar, theologian and author committed to social activism and pastoral ministry. She will lead two retreats at First Universalist Church on Jan. 29 and on Jan. 30. A flyer and registration information are on the bulletin board in the Fireside Room.

There are currently over 1200 cases of HIV/AIDS in Iowa. As HIV infections continue to grow, so does the need for financial assistance. Besides dealing with the enormous medical costs and the mental and physical ailments of this illness, many HIV patients right here in central Iowa do not have the finances to pay for everyday necessities (e.g., rent, utilities, gas).

The "Living With HIV" program through MICA will have their 3rd annual Love Responsibly Silent Auction on Thurs., Feb. 10 at Comfort Suites in Ames. We request community donations of gift baskets, gift cards, products, or services. Donations will be advertised and auctioned-off from 5:30-7:30 PM.
Lucullan's Restaurant will cater a delicious lasagna dinner. The buffet opens at 6 PM. We will raffle off various items this year. Tickets for the meal ($10) and raffle ($3) are available at MICA. Entertainment will include local musicians and HIV speakers.

Donations can be mailed, dropped off at the MICA office or picked up by an auction volunteer. Gifts of cash are also greatly appreciated and will be used to purchase items for the auction. Please make checks payable to "Living with HIV Program". We would appreciate your donation by February 1.

We hope to see you at this year's auction and dinner! If you have questions, please to call Janelle Durlin, "Living with HIV" Program Coordinator, or Alissa Stoehr.

Behind every great fellowship program there are a lot of people thinking about details. Sound equipment, chair setup and takedown, coffee and coffee cleanup. We've tried various methods for getting these things done—most recently "Nuts and Bolts" clipboards passed during coffee hour. None worked in the long run. What's to be done? WE have to do it!

The newest idea is to identify core areas ("chair setup" etc.) and get a core group of five or six people to rotate responsibility. On the spot help is always appreciated. Even newcomers and visitors can get involved, but someone needs to be there to make sure it happens. The old Nuts and Bolts Committee has been working informally to recruit people to fill the core, but there are still opportunities (er, tasks) for the shy person who hasn't been involved. If you'd like to be more involved—and be instantly recognized and welcomed by other core members—please call Susan Franzen to fit your preferences to the waiting places.

P. S. Coffee cake is still by signup at present, though people have apparently missed the sign up sheet on the coffee cart. If you like our fair trade coffee, you might consider donating a pound of ground fair trade (available at Worldly Goods or Wheatsfield). Just mark it "regular" or "decaf" and put it in the lower freezer.

Members and friends of the Fellowship received over $1700 in Alternative Gifts this holiday season. Members gave their loved ones 2x4s for Story County Habitat for Humanity homes, food vouchers for Beyond Welfare families in Ames, water buffalo calves for families in Cambodia, water purification systems for homes in Tanzania, and many more Alternative Gifts. Eighth-grader Tony Koford joined
the 9 AM RE class of 4th-6th graders to share his knowledge about the ways the Alternative Gift Market works to better the lives of people who are not as privileged as we are. The RE students made colorful posters to portray the essential food, health care, and environmental gifts that are offered through the Alternative Gift Market, and they shared their knowledge with Fellowship members at the AGM table on Sunday mornings. Some of the RE students purchased Alternative Gifts to give, and others made plans to save money throughout the coming year so that they could purchase gifts next year.

If you have ever gotten so excited about a Sunday morning program that you wanted to sit and discuss more, you will finally have that opportunity in January. During the month of programs on social justice issues, the Sunday Morning Program Committee will be experimenting with Sunday evening forums for those who want to discuss those issues further. As the newsletter goes to the printer, forums have been scheduled for 7:30 PM Jan. 16 and Jan. 30. Please check the UUFA website for more forum information.

Ames is in the midst of controversy concerning the building of a regional commercial center east of I-35 straddling 13th Street. A group of citizens known as Ames Smart Growth (ASG) has been fighting an uphill battle against this development for more than a year. A significant number of Fellowship members are involved in ASG (Kay Berger, Susan Franzen, Holly Fuchs, Erv Klaas, Cathy Scott, Jim Murdock, Mary Richards, Joe Rippetoe, Sue Ravenscroft, Carl Mize, Martha Atkins and others).

We have studied this issue in depth, testified at public hearings before the Ames Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council, and are convinced that locating a regional commercial center east of I-35 is not a good idea. This development is not in accordance with smart growth principles, will sacrifice the best location in Ames for future industrial development, will threaten the ecological integrity of Ketelsen's Marsh, will negatively affect existing businesses (especially the North Grand Mall), will destroy fertile farm land, and violates most of the goals in our city's own Land Use Policy Plan. Our leaders have repeatedly refused our request for an unbiased economic study that would examine the effects this development would have on retail employment, wages and benefits, existing businesses, commercial vacancies, the cost of public services, and the vehicle miles traveled by area residents for shopping.

Supporters of this commercial development argue that it will increase our sales tax and property tax revenues. They further argue that our citizens can't find the goods they want in Ames and must drive to Des Moines and other cities to shop, thereby reducing our sales tax revenues. And yet, Dr. Ken Stone, internationally known retail economist at ISU, presented the Council with data that show Ames and Story County actually attract more retail sales than they lose.

If Ames realizes any increase in sales taxes resulting from this center, it will be at the expense of our neighboring counties and towns. Our neighbors who live in the designated market area for Ames' proposed regional center are struggling to revitalize their main street commercial areas and save their towns. This development will certainly not help them.

The last chance Ames' citizens will have to stop this development will be in January when the City Council will vote on an ordinance to re-zone the property at I-35 and 13th Street from agricultural and industrial to commercial. If you haven't expressed yourself on this important issue, please call, write, or email your elected representatives on the City Council to express your concerns. For more information contact any UU member listed above, or go to www.amessmartgrowth.org.

—Erv Klaas, Social Responsibility & Action Committee

Minister:
Office Manager
E-mail address:
Interim Religious Ed Director
Custodian
Youth Coordinator

President:
Vice-President:
Past President:
Co-Treasurers:
Secretary:

Brian Eslinger
Ellen Wool—office line
uufa@uufames.org FAX:
Benette Sherman
Isaiah Cunnally
Benette Sherman

Brenda Witherspoon
Sue Ellen Tuttle
Rich Van Valin
Mary Richards & Joan Mathews
Lynne Van Valin

292-5960; 292-8929 (direct)
292-5960; 292-0456 (fax)

292-5960
292-5960
292-5960

BOARD MEMBERS

Barb Abbott (2005)
Wayne Beal (2006)
Peggy Earnshaw (2006)
Leslie Hanft (2006)
Dallas Thies (2005)
Fred Vallier (2005)
Nancy Schroeder-RE Rep
Carter Slagell (Youth Rep)