From the minister

School's Out!
Assessment of ISU Teaching

As May comes into bloom, the end of the school year at Iowa State comes with it. This ends my first year of teaching a class each semester for the Religious Studies Department at ISU. I have been asked to teach again next year, and, after consulting with the members of the leadership team and the Committee on Ministry, I have accepted.

During our ministry review conducted earlier this spring by the Committee on Ministry, several comments about my teaching at ISU surfaced. Many of them reflected the way in which this work has enhanced my Fellowship duties. Other comments showed concern about how this affected my time, and questioned whether it distracts me from my Fellowship duties.

I thought it important to explain how I have adjusted my schedule to allow for the time teaching takes. When I add something like this to my plate, I don't pile it on top, but remove other tasks or duties (in consultation with appropriate members of the Fellowship). When I began teaching, the largest time and energy commitment change was to put the work on my Doctorate of Ministry on the back burner.

Taking two classes a year required a commitment of time that, while more concentrated, was not dissimilar to the amount of time I spend working on my classes. During July and January when I would have been in Chicago, I am instead focusing on lesson plans and preparation for the ISU courses. I believe that the professional development I am gaining by teaching is at least as valuable as my course work. For example, the theological series I presented last fall would not have been as rich an experience had I not been encountering new ideas and been engaged in the kind of deep thinking that my classroom work allowed.

In my community work, I have limited my major commitments to one other agency. The work in the classroom is not direct outreach, but does present a face of Unitarian Universalism to a group that is usually very unfamiliar with us. I also interact with faculty and staff, not proselytizing in any way, but still as a UU minister. Is this work as valuable as some of my past community involvement? I don't know, but I do believe it is a meaningful connection. As leadership for the campus and young adult group emerged last year, I let them chart their course and consider my work in the classroom as the time I spend developing our congregational connection to this group of people.

In my position there is a constant balancing act, trying to pay adequate attention to my work in the pulpit, pastoral care, education with all ages, committee work, and outreach in the larger community. Along with these variables, I also need to be true to my calling, challenging myself in new ways.

Teaching has allowed me to do this in a fruitful way. I am grateful to both the Department of Religious Studies and the members of the Fellowship for allowing me this opportunity. My hope is that both groups see this as a benefit to themselves, as I see it having a positive impact on my work.

See you on Sunday,

– Brian

Sunday, May 7, 9am and 11am

The Art of Creativity: Fine Arts Sunday

All-Congregational
The Rev. Brian Eslinger and Peggy Earnshaw

Join in this celebration of the creative spirit. Performance of the musical, spoken, and visually artistic genres will all be featured on this special Sunday.

 

Sunday, May 14, 9am and 11am

Theologies of Peace

New Member Sunday
Rev. Brian Eslinger

Many religious traditions promote the idea of peace. Why, then, is our world so filled with war? We'll honor Mother's Day by exploring the hope for peace that led Julia Ward Howe to initiate this holiday.
Special Music: Barb Evenson on harp

 

Sunday, May 21, 9am and 11am

Natural Constants and Human Variables

Toby Ewing and Sam Wormley

There are unchanging constants in nature, yet nature is constantly evolving. Perspectives on humans' place and part are constantly changing. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning will be at the heart of this program.
Special Music: Fellowship Voices

 

Sunday, May 28, 10am (note: only one service)

Bridges to Cross: Re-Membering and Memorializing

All-Congregational
Bridging Ceremony
Flower Communion
Rev. Brian Eslinger and Benette Sherman

Life has many transitions. We'll honor several such changes in the lives of our community while acknowledging the service people whose sacrifices are especially noted on this day.

From the Director of Youth and Children's Ministries

School's Out! Summer Plans

May is a busy time for everybody it seems. Recitals, school parties, senior open houses-endings and yet new beginnings. The last day of our religious education classes is May 21, followed by our switch to one service at 10 a.m. on May 28, when we will honor our graduating seniors and retell the story of the Flower Communion, among other highlights.

RE will continue in a different form during the summer. Instead of classes with teachers, the children will meet in a multi-age group with teen childcare providers who will lead prepared lessons based on Patricia Polacco's books. The children will learn about intergenerational ties, self-esteem, personal responsibility, friendships, dealing with fears, and more.

We will also offer a summer day camp program from August 21-23 for children in K-5th grade. This year's program is The Many Faces of Me. We will focus on children's self-identity, abilities, talents, responsibilities, and emerging UU identity. Registration for this program will begin in late May.

Our RE teachers, youth leaders, and OWL (sexuality education leaders) have played with your kids, taught them, listened to their stories, sung to them, and established a meaningful friendship with them. Please make sure you express your appreciation of their time and effort before the program ends on May 21.
On May 28, we will hold our Bridging Ceremony, a UU ritual that recognizes and honors our graduating seniors. We will also hold another UU ritual, the Flower Communion, on that Sunday. Please bring flowers to the service.

- Benette

Last Chance For Wellspring Wednesdays:

Classes Still Available!

Wellspring Wednesday classes finish up this month. Every Wednesday through May 24 , you have a standing invitation to join in a potluck at the Fellowship. After the physical nourishment, come join in some mental/spiritual nourishment. The potluck and most classes are drop-in, no registration necessary.

The classes are designed to be independent of each other so you can jump in at any time, even if you haven't come as yet. All classes begin at 7pm.

Spiritual Practices (Brian Eslinger)
  May 3: Spirituality and connection to the world.

Each unit will feature practices from various religious traditions, providing insight into the range of possibilities.

Feed the Body, Nourish the Spirit (Benette Sherman)

  May 10 (pre-registration required).

Investigate the connections between food and spirituality in Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism. We'll touch lightly on philosophy and make food from these traditions.

UU History and Theology (Brian Eslinger)

   May 17, UU Theology today.

Men's Night at the Movies
(Brian Eslinger)

  May 24: open for suggestions.

The men of the Fellowship gather for movies and discussion.

May 7, 2006

A Day for the Young-at-Art

2006 Annual Youth Fine Arts Celebration

On Sunday, May 7, young UUFA artists will be featured in a multimedia program coordinated by Brian Eslinger and Peggy Earnshaw. Since 1995, this annual program has engendered an appreciation for the young-at-art in our congregation. Artists perform as soloists or with others of any age. In the past, this event has occurred on Mother's Day. We have moved the Youth Fine Arts Program to the first Sunday in May this year.

Vote YES! for AMOS Membership

After several months of planning, the core organizing group for AMOS (A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy) at UUFA is proposing that the fellowship become a dues-paying member of AMOS. Three churches in Ames-St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, Bethesda Lutheran Church, and First Christian Church-have already taken this step, and several other local churches are on their way.

This proposal will come up for a vote at the May 7 congregational meeting. We encourage you to respond with an enthusiastic YES!

Membership in AMOS represents a new level of UUFA commitment to social action. It also provides many benefits to the fellowship. AMOS membership is:

• Another mechanism for working together to live our UU principles in the community.
• A powerful tool for developing new leaders within UUFA.
• A proven structure for building relationships with many faith groups and other organizations in Ames and central Iowa.

Those of us who have been working with AMOS are already experiencing the benefits of leadership training and inter-organizational relationship building. (And, through AMOS, many non-UUFA members are becoming a little more familiar with UUism!) Now we are gearing up for a fall campaign of house meetings that will define and prioritize some focused research and actions next year.

If you have any questions about AMOS or what AMOS membership will mean for UUFA, contact Marcia Brink or Benette Sherman.

UUFA Congregational Meeting

Sunday, May 7, 2006, between services

1. Presentation of the 2005-06 annual report
2. Election of candidates (20 percent quorum/55 members)
   1. Board of Directors
   2. Nominating Committee
   3. Endowment Acquisition & Disbursement Committee
3. Consideration of AMOS membership (20 percent quorum/55 members)
4. Consideration of 2006-07 budget (20 percent quorum/55 members)
5. Other
6. Adjourn

Slate of Candidates for 2006-07

Recommended by the Nominating Committee and the Board of Directors

Biographies will be printed in the May newsletter and will be available upon request.

Board of Directors

President through June 2007: Mary Richards

Vice President through June 2007: Dallas Thies

Past President through June 2007: Brenda Witherspoon

Secretary through June 2007: Trevor Nelson (second one-year term)

Treasurer through June 2007: Rosa Unal

Two-year term through June 2008: Tammy Hartmann

Two-year term through June 2008: Amy Slagell

Two-year term through June 2008: Faith Winchester

One-year term through June 2007: Wayne Beal (second term)

NOTE: Barb Abbott and Janet Klaas will continue their two-year terms, which expire in June 2007. Wayne Beal's election to a one-year term would finish out the two-year term being vacated by Ken Lane. The RE Committee will provide an RE representative, and the youth will provide a youth representative to serve through June 2007.

Nominating Committee

One-year term through June 2007: Ann Pierce (third one-year term)

One-year term through June 2007: Cheryl Lawson (first term)

One-year term through June 2007: Tom Janicki (first term)

NOTE: The board will appoint two additional members to the Nominating Committee. All serve one-year, renewable terms.

Endowment Acquisition and Disbursement Committee

Five-year term through 2011: Bonnie Bowen

NOTE: Other members of the committee: Fred Vallier (through 2007), Lynne Van Valin (through 2008), Ed Carbrey (through 2009), Phil O'Berry (through 2010).

Slate of Candidates

Proposed 2006-07 UUFA budget

(Removed in the online copy)

ARCHIVES COMMITTEE

Thanks to all who took the Archives Quiz The prizewinners are - TA DA! - Elizabeth Carbrey, Kitty Fisher, Kathy Hickok, Susan Jasper, Becky Kinnamon, Dylan Larson-Konar, Rosa Unal, and Suzanne Zilber. At 12, Dylan Larson-Konar was the youngest contestant and identified himself in photo #24. We won't announce ages of other contestants, but the majority were in their 40s.

- Susan Franzen

ART COMMITTEE

Mar 18 - Jun 3: Science through the Eyes of an Artist DEAN BIECHLER Metals JOE MUENCH AND ISU STUDENTS   The next exhibit, featuring Greg Fuqua, goes up June 3.

- Jean Hagert Dow

CHRISTIAN AFFINITY GROUP

The Christian Affinity Group meets in the Tower Room on the first and third Sundays of each month from 4 to 5:30 p.m. This month, we meet on May 7 and May 21. We are an outgrowth of discussions resulting from Mary Sawyer's Jan. 8 presentation "What's In It For Us: Christianity and Community." All are welcome for discussion and exploration. Attendance has been sporadic the past few meetings - let's keep this group going!

- Jim Murdock

CONSCIENTIOUS KNITTERS - FIELD TRIP ON MAY 13

Are you ready to try something new and different? Because the usual Conscientious Knitters drop-in-knit-and-visit time falls on Mother's Day in May, we thought it might be a good time to meet on another day and do a field trip to area knitting stores. So on Saturday, May 13, we'll meet at 1 p.m. in the Fellowship lower parking lot and carpool to the "Village Knit Wit" and "Purls-The Yarn Studio," both in the western Des Moines area. Doesn't this sound like fun? If you're interested in going or have questions about the outing, contact Mary Richards.

- Mary Richards

DAYTIME CIRCLE

The Daytime Circle meets in the Tower Room at 1:30 p.m. every other Monday (on April 3 and 17). We are an open circle, incorporating new members as they come, but we maintain confidentiality to encourage people to share what is of deepest concern to them. If you have questions, call Lotus or Tom, the new contact people.

- Lotus Miller and Tom Janicki

DENOMINATIONAL CONNECTIONS

The registration cost for the UUA General Assembly in St. Louis increases May 1, so make your plans now to attend! So far, 10 people from UUFA have said they are attending or are strongly considering attending the conference, June 21-25. If you are considering going or have questions, please check the Web site, www.uua.org, or talk to Kitty Fisher, who is coordinating our delegation in terms of transportation, housing, and workshops.

- Kitty Fisher

DUSTIN BERGER MEMORIAL LIBRARY

Have you stopped in our library lately? The cataloging project continues apace, but suggestions are always welcome for library purchases Have you read any good Unitarian-type books lately? The Library Committee will be making an end-of-year materials purchase soon, so if you have a suggestion for an item you'd like to see in our library, please let us know or leave a note in the library mailbox in the office. The library is open for browsing whenever the Fellowship is open (9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday). Also, please respect our collection by not taking food into the room. Committee members are Barb Abbott and Anita Beal, co-chairs; Roger Berger; Benette Sherman; and Tom Muhlenbruch.

-Barb Abbott and Anita Beal

EMERGENCY RESIDENCE SHELTER

	Emergency Residence Project	Shelter Meal Volunteers 5/2: Roth 5/9: UUFA Youth 5/16: Van Valin 5/23: Heising 5/30: Kimrey
Providing Food and Shelter

- Joanne Barnes and Chris White

GREEN SANCTUARY

Look at Rustle the Leaf Environmental Comic, "Drawing Attention," which came out of my March issue of Buying Club News. It says, "To see samples of Rustle the Leaf comics, or to download a copy of the activity book, visit www.rustletheleaf.com. You can also download free monthly lesson plans as well as computer wallpapers, AIM buddy icons, and eCards."

- Jean Eells

INTERNATIONAL FOLK DANCE CIRCLE

International folk dances are performed at the Fellowship on the first, third, and fifth Sunday afternoons at 4 p.m. New participants are always welcomed. You don't need a partner or special shoes. All you need is enthusiasm!

- Susan Jackson

KINETIC SPIRITS

Kinetic Spirits provides the atmosphere to tap into your unique intuition, spontaneity, and creativity. Realize that all move-ments are the right ones to connect to your inner and universal energy. Join us for music and movement on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to noon in Fellowship Hall. No experience is necessary. Music is provided, but your favorite CDs are welcome.

- Deb Kline

MONTHLY POTLUCKS

Potlucks are scheduled for May 5-7, the first weekend in May. There are a lot of activities going on that weekend, but maybe you just need to relax and be in fellowship with your friends. If you're interested in June potlucks, contact Bobbie. And, as always, more hosts would be appreciated

- Bobbie Warman

PARTNER CHURCH

The UUFA Partner Church Committee has been awarded a $500 travel grant from the UU Partner Church Council to assist us in bringing the Rev. Lajos and Tunde Lõrinczi from our partner church in Tordátfalva, Romania, to Iowa in June to develop a joint partnership covenant and to make plans for future congregational joint projects. The Lõrinczis will be our guests at the UUA General Assembly in St. Louis, where they will participate in Partner Church workshops. Our committee is raising funds to cover the costs of the Lõrinczis' trip. We are still accepting airline miles to help cover transportation costs. A garage sale is planned for Saturday, June 10. (To volunteer, contact Joan Mathews.) On Friday, June 16, the Lõrinczis will be our honored guests at Transylvania Night, an intergenerational evening featuring Hungarian food and entertainment. We need volunteers to cook, decorate, set up, and clean up! You can make your reservation for the evening with us on Sundays.

- Kitty Fisher

PEACE GROUP

The UUFA Peace Group meets one Saturday morning a month. The meetings provide a supportive and action-focused environment for anyone whose passion is peace. We continue to participate in peace vigils on Wednesday evenings: 4:45 to 5:15 p.m. at the intersection of 5th Street and Grand Avenue and then from 5:30 to 6 p.m. at Lincoln Way and Welch Avenue. We are currently planning, with the Rev. Brian Eslinger, a special Mother's Day peace program on May 14. One of the earliest Mother's Day events, a peace rally, was organized in Boston in 1872 by pacifist Julia Ward Howe, who believed that mothers of soldiers bore the greatest burdens of war.

- Marcia Brink

PRAIRIE SAGE CIRCLE: EARTH-BASED SPIRITUALITY

The pulse of the Earth is growing stronger with each day of longer light. Breezes carry forth the essence of Her being. Warmth radiates from the Sun, coaxing new buds to peak out from limb and stem. Roots swell beneath the soil, drinking hungrily of the fresh rains. The marvels of the Earth and her capacity for embracing us all, calls us to be Her. Join us as we continue our journey through Earth Spirit Warrior, by John Stowe. We meet the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Tower Room.

- Tammi Hartmann

SCIENCE VIDEO DISCUSSION CIRCLE

Fritz Franzen and Sam Wormley host a Science Video Discussion Fellowship Circle at the home of Fritz Franzen on the first and third Tuesdays of each month from 7 to 9 p.m. The Science Video Series is currently discussing the thirteen-part COSMOS series (with updates) by Carl Sagan. On May 2, it's Part X: The Edge of Forever. The topic for May 16 is Part XI: Persistence of Memory. We will not meet over the summer (June through August) but will start up again in September, continuing during the 2006-2007 academic year.

- Sam Wormley

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY & ACTION: TRADITIONAL

The Lincoln Way Chapter of the American Red Cross will be the recipient of our next collection split. The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization led by volunteers that provides relief to victims of disasters, and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. Programs include disaster services, armed forces emergency services, international social services, and health and safety training. The goal of the Traditional Efforts Committee is to highlight volunteer opportunities and coordinate fundraising and programming efforts with local agencies such as the Emergency Residence Project, Beyond Welfare, MICA, Good Neighbor Emergency Assistance, Habitat for Humanity, and the Red Cross, among others. Other goals include providing the congregation with updates on legislative actions affecting certain social issues and strengthening our commitment to providing generosity and goodwill within our community. For further information on the Traditional Efforts Committee, please contact Alissa Stoehr.

- Alissa Stoehr

SITTING MEDITATION

A time for quiet group meditation is available every Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 7 to 7:40 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. No experience is necessary, but if you want to, bring your own cushion, bench, or pillow. There is no formal instruction, but group members are very willing to discuss their techniques. We have had as many as seven people attend and as few as one.

- Jean Hagert Dow

UUFA WOMEN'S BOOK GROUP

Please join the UUFA Women's Book Group in the Tower Room at 7 p.m. Monday, May 1. We will discuss Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers. Our last book before the summer will be Mermaid's Chair by Sue Monk Kidd (June 5).

- Barbi Greenlaw

UUFA WOMEN'S WRITING GROUP

The UUFA Women's Writing Group will meet Monday, May 8, at 7 p.m. in the Tower Room. Bring up to ten pages of writing of any genre to read aloud and share with this friendly and encouraging group of writers. Submit your writing a week ahead to Barbi, or bring it along if you are a last-minute sort of writer. We welcome new members at any time.

- Barbi Greenlaw

WOMEN'S SPIRITUALITY GROUP

The Women's Spirituality Group will meet Tuesdays, May 2 and May 16, at 7 p.m. in the Tower Room. UUFA women of all ages and their friends are invited to attend the bimonthly discussions fostering spiritual growth and connection. This group practices shared leadership, centering each meeting around a spiritual concept.

- Cheryl Lawson

YOUNG ADULT GROUP

The Young Adult Group has a new email list! To subscribe, send an email to uufayag-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Then post messages by emailing uufayag@yahoogroups.com. We will meet over the summer. Please subscribe to find out what we are planning and to suggest an event or activity.

- Rachel Williams

From the office administrator:

School's Out? Keep Me Informed!

As the end of the school year approaches, people's minds turn to thoughts of ... moving! I'd like to remind everyone to inform the UUFA of any address changes before you move. If you look at the next page, you'll see that we have a notation: "Return Service Requested." This means that if someone moves, we pay the post office an extra 39¢ to send this newsletter back to us rather than forward it as per that family's forwarding request. We do this to keep our database as up-to-date as possible. The cost of a newsletter is up to $0.83 each, so we would like to avoid extra postal payments, if possible.

It's been almost 10 months since the Fellowship hired me for this position, and I'm enjoying my duties very much. Let me tell you, though, it is definitely never dull! There's a wide range of my talents called into play whenever I come here.

And, speaking of talents and play, I have a wild orange hat. Kids, when you come down for balloons on Sunday, if I'm wearing the hat, I can be Becca the Balloon Lady, but if I take the hat off, that's a sign that I need to be Becca the Office Administrator¸ so you need to be quiet so I can answer the adult's question and get back to the fun of playing with you.

- Becca

On May 5, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Fellowship, there will be a bon voyage party honoring Ken Lane and Liz Weber (heading west to Bellingham, Washington) and Bill Kannel and Katie Pope (heading east to West Lafayette, Indiana). Bring an appetizer or something to drink to share with everyone and help us say goodbye to part of our family.

May 12-14

Mother Drama at UUFA

 

Mother Wove the Morning has played to enthusiastic audiences all over the world. Now this "play in search of the feminine divine" will have three performances over Mother's Day weekend: May 12 and 13 at 7 p.m. and May 14 at 2 p.m. at UUFA. The cast includes actors from Ames, Boone, Carlisle, Des Moines, and Newton including UUFA's very own Chris White and Becca Wemhoff.

Originally conceived and produced as a one-woman play performed by the author, Carol Lynn Pearson, Mother Wove the Morning has been moving and delighting audiences since 1989. Sacred Woman Productions is thrilled to be bringing this thought-provoking and entertaining play to Iowa audiences for the first time.

In the play, our narrator relates the story of her search for the missing "Mother" half of God. In answer to her question, "what happened to Mother?" 16 women throughout history respond. Among the cast of characters are a Paleolithic woman who can't understand how Mother was lost in the first place; an Egyptian priestess who hilariously bemoans the power-plays of the high priest; a former follower of the goddess Diana, talking about her conversion to Christianity; an imprisoned witch who takes on the Spanish Inquisition; a former slave who was "bought for god" by the Shakers; and none other than Elizabeth Cady Stanton herself. Several women from the Bible finally get their say, and a German Jewish woman and a Nazi woman attempt to reconcile their relationship with God and the Führer, respectively.

This production is made possible by special arrangement with UUFA. A portion of the proceeds will benefit UUFA as well as the YWCA of Ames. Check out the Web site at www.sacredwoman.org for more information and to learn about opportunities to get involved.

Tickets are available in advance for $12 at Octagon Center for the Arts at 427 Douglas Ave. in Ames (M-F 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames at 1015 North Hyland Ave. (M-F 9 a.m. to noon, Sunday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.). They will be $13 at the door.

lthough appropriate for audiences 13 and up, parental guidance may be needed to deal with some of the more challenging topics.

 

Cast list:

Mia Countryman Bruen	the Paleolithic Marie, the Therapist
Amber Crouch	Rachel and the Teraphim Running Cloud, the Native American
Meg E. Dobson	Carol Lynn, the Narrator
Anna Richard	Lydia, Witness to the Rape of the Levite's Concubine
Staci Schwartz	Io, the Greek Genevieve, the Witch
Becca Wemhoff	Amenepshut, the Egyptian Priestess Rebecca, the Jewish woman
Christianna White	Julia, the Gnostic Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the American Feminist
Jocelyn Wilson	Phoebe, the Shaker
Sarah Bebhinn	Paula, the Christian at Ephesus Hilda, the Nazi woman

Next Board Meetings:
7pm Wednesday, May 10
7pm Wednesday, June 14