Unitarian Church of Norfolk damaged by flooding November 15, 2009
One of our congregations, the Unitarian Church of Norfolk , VA, suffered extensive damage from flooding caused by remnants of Hurricane Ida that passed through last week. Here is a recap of the situation:
Exceptionally high tides brought serious flooding to the church, sustaining six feet of water in the basement. The boiler and electrical systems were flooded with salt water, the generators failed, and there was also damage to the roof. The church pastoral care committee called almost all of the 225 members to see how they were doing. Two members sustained serious damage to their homes and more may appear as full phone contact becomes available again. Members of the church turned out to cope with the flooding, one staying all night at the church so he could move things out of harm's way and do what he could to contain the damage. A roofer in the congregation climbed up to patch the steep roof. Church Mutual is coming out today and we don't know yet how much will not be covered.
At this point, the congregation is coping well. I’ll let you know once they know more if they have any needs for support. But in the meantime, please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Rev. Jake Morrill Appointed to UUA Board as TJD Trustee October 17, 2009
I am pleased to announce that the Thomas Jefferson District Board, as sanctioned by Article XII, Section 7 of the TJ District bylaws, has selected Rev. Jake Morrill of the Oak Ridge, Tennessee congregation to fill Anna Olsen's remaining term. A lifelong UU, Jake is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School and has served the Oak Ridge congregation since 2003. As the father of two sons, he is committed to multi-generationalism and multi-culturalism in our faith movement. Those who recommended Jake have the highest praise for his passion, spirit, and ability to bring people together for the greater good. We welcome Jake, his wife Molly, and their two sons as they extend their new and exciting commitment to our movement.
In faith and standing on the side of love,
Jim Key, President Thomas Jefferson District of the UUA
REPORT:TJD 2009 Annual Meeting and Multi-Generational Family Retreat May 12, 2009
Although we wish more people would have been able to attend the TJD 2009 Annual Meeting, it never-the-less proved to be a great success. Joining with UUs from across the district and across the ages, from toddlers to seniors, all those in attendance (83 adults and 19 children and youth, representing 30 congregations - 27 in TJD and 3 outside) experienced the richness of working and playing in multi-generational community. Participants attended workshops on stewardship and campus ministry while some took advantange of the wilderness survival and low-ropes courses offered by the Park Service. On Friday night, folks socialized around a campfire complete with s'mores and on Saturday evening were entertained by the folk/rock duo Wishing Chair.
At Saturday's business meeting, delegates adopted the 2010 TJD budget and several by-laws changes, elected new board and nominating committee members, and approved a resolution to support the Board's move toward policy governance (results of the annual meeting minutes will be posted on TJD Governance/Minutes and Reports within a few days). Sunday's worship was one of the highlights of the weekend. Led by the Rev. Dr. Monica Cummings, from the UUA Youth Office, and joined by choir director, Mark Fruendt and the fabulous choir from UUC of Greensboro, we envisioned what it would be like to truly embrace multi-generational community in our congregations.
Next year's TJD annual meeting will be held April 30 - May 2 at Penn Center, on St. Helena's Island, SC, and hosted by the UUF of Beaufort and other congregations in the Southern Cluster. Mark your calendars today so you don't miss out on an incredible connection with UU history as we explore UU values and our commitment to social justice.
Seminarian Darcy Baxter says, “There is this moment, when you talk with women about abortion, where the guilt and the shame can lift a little and these women can focus on being a good mother to the other children they want to care for and feel equipped to care for. And you can see the shift in energy and in the conversation, when the women realize that they are doing a hard but right, and even good, thing.”
In the wake of devastation wrought by the earthquake which struck the island of Haiti on January 12, 2010, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) and the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) are launching a joint relief effort to bring aid to the impoverished island nation.
"Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story" had been unavailable for almost a decade. King's unparalleled historical account of the first successful large-scale application of nonviolent resistance in America is now 'must' reading for a new generation."Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?" had been unavailable for more than a decade. King's final book offers an astute analysis of American race relations and the movement after a decade of civil rights efforts.
UU Legislative Ministry-New Jersey Director Julia Hamilton said, "Every time we have the chance to stand on the side of love, we move one step closer to the beloved community that we are building together, right here and now."
Rev. Dan Schatz, the minister of the BuxMont Unitarian Universalist (UU) Fellowship in Warrington, Pennsylvania, has been nominated for a Grammy award for 2009.
Sun, 03 Jan 2010 17:15:00 EST
Thomas Jefferson District ♦ 9704 Mallard Creek Road ♦ Charlotte, NC 28262 ♦ 800-549-0751 ♦ tjd@uua.org
