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Domelight Newsletter
of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa -
April 2005 Rev. Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley, Minister
Katie Culbert, RE Director |
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Domelight Newsletter
of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa -
April 2005 Rev. Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley, Minister
Katie Culbert, RE Director |
The Unitarian Universalist Church
of Tampa is a Welcoming Congregation—capital “W” and capital “C,”
which means that we are one of 400 Unitarian Universalist congregations that have
completed an adult education curriculum administered by the Unitarian Universalist
Association (UUA). In short, this says that
we welcome, include, and
celebrate bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender people in all aspects of our
congregational life. This UUA program is one
tool that has helped Unitarian Universalist congregations to become instruments of social
change and transformation from one form of oppression to liberation. The Welcoming
Congregation program is part of a larger anti-oppression initiative called Journey Toward
Wholeness (JTW), a program designed to help Unitarian Universalists live out their faith
in ways that are non-oppressive. The Journey
Toward Wholeness includes many paths: paths to dismantle
racism, to eradicate heterosexism, to abolish ableism and gender oppression, to eliminate
classism and economic injustice. Each of these
paths represents an open door and a way to move deeper into the work of justice. Just imagine: if
our city, county, or state were to move forward on any one of these paths, we would become
a radically transformed society … Which leads to a question: In addition to the
Welcoming Congregation program, to what extent are we a welcoming congregation, more
broadly speaking? I recently
attended a meeting in Boston to launch This
year—July 2005 through June 2006—marks the 50th Anniversary of our
church. We need to honor our past. At the same time, we need to consider what
kind of future we wish to create. What have
we done and what can we do that lets the world know that we support human liberation from
oppression. We are called to a
vision for a new community—a beloved community.
You will soon be hearing about a mission-vision-covenanting process for our
church. As we honor the past and move toward
creating a new future, my hope is that we can put on a new set of lenses—lenses of
anti-oppression, social and spiritual transformation. In faith, OPPORTUNITIES
FOR ADULTS Rise Up and
Call Her Name. During the month of April, the meetings will
be held on April 12th and April 26. Popcorn
and Opinions. Friday, April 15, 7:00
p.m. Life is Beautiful. It is difficult to separate the story of
this film from its director, Italian comic Roberto Benigni. Benigni's skill as a writer, director, and actor
helps to lessen the weight of a horrific story whose simplicity lies in the fact that it
is a love story. Just as love is never
simple, neither is this story. Like Schindler's List, the complexity of Life is Beautiful is historic. We see another chapter of the rise of fascism,
this time as it developed in Italy in 1939 under Mussolini.
Location: New Tampa. Martha
Robinson and Bud Clough will serve as our hosts. Look
for sign-up sheet on the Adult Religious Education bulletin board. Unitarian Universalist Church of
Tampa One
Place. All Faiths BOARD OF TRUSTEES President- Tempie Taudte Vice President- Felice Richardson Treasurer- Ed Benedict Secretary- Jerry Elsenrathd Member - Tito Basu Member - Bill Blymiller Member - Tom Hagner Member - Ralph Lehman Member - Martha Robinson By Katie Culbert Spring is in full bloom and the Religious Education program for children and youth at
UUCT is “blooming” with lots of activity! On March 12th we had
a GREAT Spring Clean Up as volunteers showed up to “spiff up” our RE
space. Thanks so much to Kate and Molly Hays,
Judy Lehman, Mike Lloyd, Joan Lund, Barbara Cloud-Weisman, and JD Culbert for making the
Spring Clean up such a great success. Our annual Easter/Spring celebration including egg hunt and party took place on March
27th and was organized by Barbara Cloud-Weisman. Barbara, a phenomenal
member of the RE Committee and mother of UUCT youth Rachel, contributes an amazing amount
of energy to improve our RE program. Thank
you, Barbara, for your dedication and hard work! The children and youth are continuing to focus on Unitarian Universalism in their
individual RE classes, which run from 9:45 to 10:30. Following class, they come together
in the small dome for an intergenerational fellowship/worship time. On some weeks this
time is spent playing games that help the children and youth get to know one another while
encouraging cooperation and creativity. On other weeks I facilitate a short worship. In
March we continued our focus on the UU principles in worships that highlighted Principle
Three (In kids language: Yearn to learn throughout life - Our churches are places where
all people are accepted and where we keep on learning together. and Principle Four; Grow
by exploring ideas and values together - Each person must be free to search for what is
true and right in life. At the end of worship we sing a song (set to the tune of Do-Re-Me
from the Sound of Music) that helps us remember our UU Principles. We will continue
to have worships focusing on our UU principles, with our April 17th Earth Day
worship focusing on Principle Seven ;Value our interdependence with nature - We should
care for our planet earth. There are many exciting things happening in our RE program and in order for it to
succeed and grow we need your help! If you would like to volunteer to help with
administration, special events, childcare, or substitute teaching please contact me or a
member of the RE Committee. PLEDGE INFO: When
making a cash contribution toward your 2005 pledge place the money in an envelope and
please print your name on the envelope. Sunday, April 17 10:35 –
10:55 Fellowship time focus on Earth Day (Principle Seven)
Sunday, May 8 10:35 –
10:55 Fellowship time focus on Mothers 11:00
Mother’s Day Intergenerational Service 12:15
Mother’s Day Picnic following service hosted by YRUU Saturday, May 21st 7:00 UUCT
Dance, Tampa Palms 11:00 YRUU
Lock-In at UUCT Friday, May 27th –
Sunday, May 29th “Roots Hold Us Close” Conference in
Oviedo Sunday, June 12 Last day of
RE 11:00
Intergenerational Service YRUU (Young Religious Unitarian
Universalists) YRUU is a
youth group for middle and high school youth. The Tampa group meets each Sunday at 11:00
in the youth room, located in the small dome. YRUU
is a youth lead organization with trained adult advisors that are present at all YRUU
meetings. Tampa YRUU youth and advisors
attend District events, which consist of monthly conferences held at churches around the
state. Please note the following YRUU events
coming up: Friday, April 8th –
Sunday, April 10th YRUU Florida District Youth Caucus,
Oviedo Youth Caucus
is the annual business meeting of YRUU Florida. Representatives
and advisors from churches across the state spend the week-end electing officers, setting
next year’s calendar, and reviewing other business items. This gathering is an incredible leadership
opportunity for YRUU youth; all youth that are interested in taking on a leadership role
in YRUU are encouraged to attend. Please
note: Youth Caucus is not a con. Friday, April 15 6:00 p.m.
YRUU Potluck at Hunt and Peck Farm, Bushnell Followed by
Social Action Con – UU in the Pines, Brooksville Friday, April 29th 6:00 YRUU
Orientation for parents 7:00 Youth
and advisors leave for Vero Con FOOD FOR
THOUGHT Reputation is character minus what
you've been caught doing. Are you having some trouble hearing
all the parts of the Sunday Service? Do you have to be at the little Dome or in the
playground during the Service? We have acquired an FM broadcasting device that will
send the service out on 108.0 on your radio dial. Just bring your Walkman or FM
radio and tune to 108.0 and check it out. If you have a hearing aid with a
"T" or Telephone setting, Bill Blymiller would like to talk to you about testing
out a way to get the audio from your FM radio directly into your hearing aid without
headphones. Try
it out!
Tampa UU
church was established in July of 1955. This
will be a year of Reverence, Revelry and Remembrance (3 R’s). We will be collecting history, photos and
memorabilia along with recollections of social justice work. Contact: Grant Wilson @ 948-4630 or e-mail Grant.Wilson11@verizon.net Stay tuned
for future events! An upcoming
Revelry is the 50th/50’s Dance and Pool Party on May 21st held
@ Compton Park. For any suggestions: Contact:
Judy Lehman@ 866-0591 or e-mail SATURDAY APRIL
9TH IS BUILDING AND GROUNDS DAY ! March B&G was another
spectacular day weather-wise. We all worked
very hard both outside plus there was an RE crew inside. It was nice to hear compliments about how things
are looking. Thanks again to Bill Blymiller
for mowing so the Grounds crew could concentrate on edging and clearing new
parking spaces. Lots more to be done. Please
come out! Remember the date! April 9th!
INTERWEAVE
As we
continue to welcome our new UUCT members, here are brief introductions to four of our
latest additions: Barbara
started out as an urban planner, later taking on management of her family’s business,
Meares Florist and Nursery in Pinellas. Her concern for young people inspired her current
career as a teacher with specialties in reading, history and dropout prevention. A
University of Florida graduate, she did masters work in urban planning at GeorgIA Tech.
Barbara loves floral design and politics. She is active in the local Democratic Party.
Born to one of the pioneer families of Pinellas County, Barbara spent her early childhood
in southwest Georgia before returning to Pinellas with her family. Charles and Mall Giles joined UUCT after moving
from Hawaii to Valrico in October. They moved back to the “mainland” to be
closer to their children and grandchildren. They have been active UUs since becoming
Unitarians in 1971 while living in the Philadelphia area. Before retiring to Hawaii,
Charles worked in information technology. Mall, who was a licensed psychologist, served as
director of mental health services for a non-profit agency in Philadelphia. As young
retirees, they have each embraced new pastimes. Charles is an avid musician who plays
keyboards in his home music studio. Mall is a Master Gardener who has already become
involved in the extension service program here in Florida. For those curious about her
first name, Mall explains that “Mall” (rhymes with tall) is a common name in
Estonia, where she was born. Yaakov “Jim” Litman brings a
fascinating, diverse religious and spiritual background to his new membership at UUCT.
Born Jewish, he was raised a Christian and served several years as a Catholic priest. He
is now a member of the UU Buddhist fellowship, practicing Zen meditation. Deeply
interested in spirituality and religion, he has built a small personal library on these
subjects. A Tampa native, he has spent most of his life in the area. At press time, he was
scheduled to move from South Tampa to Brandon in April. Named for his grandfather, Yaakov
explains his name is of Hebrew origin. He prefers to be called Jim, just as his
grandfather took the same nickname. n If you are interested in working with
the Membership Team to help new members settle into our faith community, please contact
Liz Taylor at 813-237-8497 or liz@liztaylormarketing.com.
By: Diana Stevens Thank
you all !!!
I wish I could list all the names but that would take up too much space.
SO, that's a BIG thank you to those of you who contributed items or services, bought
things, supported the event and those who organized the whole thing. The church
raised $2,610.51, and it has all been collected !!!! Liz Taylor and
Candy Gale did a great job in organizing all the items, and it was easy to place bids.
Liz did a great job doing all the paperwork, before and after. This has
been a great fund-raiser, and I think everyone had a great time. Now, don't be shy
about calling and making arrangements with the person that is to perform a service for you
. Everyone knows who bought a service or party, and you all need to be in touch with
each other. If there is any doubt, call me at 948-4630, and we can discuss it.
(Sometimes people do lose information.) The
church thanks you all. !!!! UUCT SEDER
DINNER - SATURDAY APRIL 30th Please join
us on Saturday April 30th at 6pm for our annual UUCT Seder. This event is developed
from the Hebrew holiday of Passover. It is a service and dinner rich with
rituals that help us recall the oppression of slavery and celebrate the joy of freedom.
The program will begin with the Seder service followed by a potluck dinner.
It is a wonderful inter-generational event and all members in our community are encouraged
to attend. A sign-up
sheet will be posted in the church lobby with suggested items (e.g.: Matzoh, wine, grape
juice, etc.) to bring to the Seder. If you are planning on participating in the
Seder, please sign up so we can optimally plan this event. And for those who would
like a culinary challenge, some traditional Passover recipes will be posted.
However, all potluck creations will be gratefully accepted!! For more information, contact Felice Richardson at
813-979-1505, Fambifl@aol.com
or Judy Lehman at 813-866-0591, jr.lehman@verizon.net . So mark the date and
come to the Seder! The present
Church was organized as the Unitarian Fellowship of Tampa in 1955. Some information
about this fellowship: Longtime member Betty Lee saw an ad in
the Tampa Tribune for a Unitarian Fellowship the day before Easter. It met Sunday
mornings in the Federated Women's Club building in Hyde Park. Betty asked members the age of the fellowship, and
no one knew. Over time Betty learned that it had apparently grown out of an
interracial Great Books discussion group. Quoting Betty, "The fellowship was
interracial, tri-racial actually. There were
three black members: Francisco Rodriguez (an NAACP attorney), Aurelio Fernandez (principal
of Dobeyville School), and Norman Jones (a business man, I think). The wife of Lay
Leader Chuck Varney (Josh), was Japanese American. Fellowship officers at that time
were President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Chuck's duty as Lay
Leader was to produce a speaker each Sunday. The service consisted of a talk and a
talk-back." Betty
continues, “Most of the members were 'come-outers', and they wanted nothing to remind
them of what they had come out of. There was
therefore,. . . no singing, no responsive reading, no prayer or meditation. One
member did bring a record player and a record which was played at the start of the
program." Concerning the lack of formal service,
Betty relates a great experience, "One Sunday before Christmas when I felt very
much like singing Christmas carols, and I knew we were not going to sing them, I played
hookey and attended Palma Ceia Methodist Church (which had a very liberal minister at that
time). A later member, Martin Sacks once commented about ‘the veto power of a
negative minority’ - suggesting that those who were dead-set against singing may have
been a negative minority." Betty concludes, “The Fellowship
did not remain interracial. Chuck and Josh Varney moved to Gainesville. Sadly, Aurelio Fernandez, a young man, was killed
in an auto accident. Francisco Rodriguez and
Norman Jones came less often and then not at all. Francisco
was happy to be a guest speaker. There were several reasons for their
withdrawal from the fellowship. After the
Civil Rights movement began, they felt somehow disloyal to be attending a primarily white
religious service. Francisco was frank to say
that there wasn't much emotional satisfaction in a talk and a talk-back." Betty McCluer Lee submitted this
information in response to the beginning effort of our "Historic Stories
Project" in June 15, 2000. Thank you so very much, Betty, for this invaluable
information. Yours historically, Grantford Wilson UUCT 50TH
ANNIVERSARY T-SHIRT DESIGN CONTEST, ATTTENTION ALL
UUCT ARTISTS!! In
celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the UUCT this year, we are developing a new UUCT
t-shirt to be sold as a fundraiser. We are looking for creative individuals in our
community to submit ideas for this project. The entries will be posted in the church
and the congregation will vote on its favorite design. A prize will be awarded to
the winning design. Entries can be photos, paintings, computer graphics, or anything
else that can be copied onto a t-shirt. Please submit all entries to Felice
Richardson or Diana Stevens by June 1, 2005. For more info, contact Felice at
813-979-1505/ Fambifl@aol.com
or Diana at 813-948-4630/ Diana.stevens@verizon.net.
We had such a good time and learned so much at our Voluntary Simplicity Circle that we
have decided to meet once a month to exchange ideas, awareness and support for each other.
If you are interested we will be meeting at the church on April 14th (Thursday)
at 7pm for about an hour and a half. Our topic is nutrition and vitamins. Give us your
ideas. For information call Betty Kaminker, 813/246-6568. What’s
the core of our faith today? Come and be part
of the answer! May 27-29, 2005 (Memorial Day
Weekend) at the Canterbury Retreat Center in Oviedo, Florida (NE Orlando) Gather to worship, share, explore, sing, laugh -
all to unearth the richness of our evolving Unitarian Universalist faith. Featured Entertainers “Irthlingz” (www.irthlings.org)
For more information call 305/281-4089 or 941/792-3688.
Register/Fees:
www.floridadistrict.org. Fees are all inclusive (2 nights lodging, 5 meals
and all activities) Early-bird discount (1/2
deposit, received by May 10) $165 per
adult/$55 youths (13 yrs+)/$40 kids. CIRCLES IN THE
WOODS CUUPS Modern Pagan
theology is like a great tapestry with strands originating in many distinct religious
traditions. Contemporary Pagans may embrace all or part of the Pagan tapestry. Some Pagans
explore their ethnic roots and discover the indigenous practices of their ancestors.
Others incorporate indigenous practices that belong to a wide variety of cultures. Still
other Pagans follow newly created practices. Common among these Pagans is their tie to
nature in a way that resonates with their inner spiritual voice. Some
Pagans believe in the Goddesses and Gods of the old religions and others do not. Many Pagans understand diety as immanent, in
everything, and believe revelation is found in nature instead of written scriptures. Some
believe in an afterlife and that their actions in this life will determine their place in
the next. Others believe only in this life
and that their actions here are all that matters. Still
others believe in reincarnation. Some Pagans
believe in an active Spirit World while others do not.
Because Paganism is a non-creedal religion such divergent beliefs can exist
together under one religious name - - just like in Unitarian Universalism! Many
modern Pagans find their beliefs are very much in harmony with Unitarian Universalist
Principles, especially the reverence for “the interdependent web of which we are all
a part.” What
does Circles in the Woods CUUPS do? Our
Full Moon Celebrations are on the Saturday closest to the Full Moon. On April 23rd at 7:30pm join us to
celebrate the upcoming Beltaine. Also, April
4th, 7pm is our monthly CUUPS meeting followed by a class on Aromatherapy and
blending oils. All are welcome! CUUPS
provides “rites of passage” rituals of Handfastings (marriage) Wiccanings, House
Blessings, Womanings, and other spiritual celebrations.
Just drop off a message in the CUUPS mailbox a UUCT or email gldnpuma@earthlink.net
and we will get back to you Committee members are available to
provide help with transportation to church , to the doctors, prepare a meal, and make
hospital visits. Please contact the minister or Joyce Formica if you know of a church
member that could use some help. The next meeting of the CARE committee will be Sunday
April 3rd at 12:30. If you are interested in learning more about this
committee, please attend this quarterly meeting.
Way back in
January, actually on January 31, 62 church members and visitors completed a Beliefs
Survey sponsored by our Middle School Religious Education (RE) Class. The survey was conducted to help the class
understand the diversity which exists within our congregation. We have finally tabulated the results. (Drum roll, please)
Some of the conclusions were: a. The religion I grew up in was - 1. 15%
- No Faith 2. 24%
- Catholic 3. 5%
- Jewish 4. 5%
- Unitarian
Universalist 5. 51%
- Protestant b. The age when I started to question my
religious background was – 1. 40%
- Birth to 12 years 2. 51%
- Teen years (13 to 19) 3. 8%
- Adult years 4. 1%
- Don’t know c. The category(ies) I pick now to fit my
belief is – 1. 10 (16%) - Humanist 2. 1 (1.5%)
- God is Nature 3. 6 (10%)
- Agnostic 4. 3 (5%)
- Mystic 5. 1 (1.5%)
- Atheism 6. 2 (3%)
- Paganism 7. 2 (3%)
- Christian 8. 3 (5%)
- Other 9. 34 (55%) - A mixture of two or more of
the categories. We thank all
who took the time to fill out our survey.
You are a very nice, as well as diverse, group of people. (This information is provided by the Middle School RE Class: Mary Clements, Abby Henneberry, and Rachel
Weisman.) Here
is your opportunity to get to know more UU folks and to make visitors welcome .
If you can take a turn at the visitor table in the foyer (giving Jonathan a break)
welcoming visitors to our Sunday service, give Fran Davin a call at 933-8285.
If instead, you see yourself as a greeter at the door, passing out the orders of service
and helping with the collection baskets, then call team leader Harriet Blymiller at
988-6551. For those who like the food part of UU church life, Marty Pelham can use
some help with the buffet lunch he serves for the quarterly UU classes the Minister
holds. We're trying to sharpen our game. Come
join the Team !
UUA TRUSTEE TIDBITS 10am
Meditation in the Meadow (follow Signs) 10am
Current Affairs (Large Dome) 9:45-10:30am Youth
Religious Education (Small Dome) 10:30am
Choir Rehearsal (Large Dome) 11am
Sunday Service 8:30am
Nature Walk in the Park (info: 813/986-4186) Apr. 1
(7pm-???)………………1st
Friday Potluck @ Jerry’s Apr. 3
(12:45pm))..……………..…..……..…Church Council Apr. 4
(7-9pm)………………….……..…….CUUPS Meeting Apr. 7
(7-9pm)……………………………...Death and
Dying Apr. 9
(9am-1pm)….……...……….…Building and Grounds Apr. 12
(7-9pm)……..……...…..Rise Up and Call Her Name Apr. 14
(7pm)…………………..…..……Living in Simplicity Apr. 15 (7pm)……...Popcorn
& Opinions (Life Is Beautiful)
(See Article on previous pages) Apr. 17 (Time & place
TBD)..Interweave Meeting (Potluck) Apr. 21
(7pm)…………………....……………Board
Meeting Apr. 23
(10-am-4pm)…………....Getting to Know UU Class Apr. 23
(7:30-10:30pm)….….Full Moon Celebration(Open) Apr. 24
(12:45pm)…………………………..Care Committee Apr. 26
(7-9pm)………...……...Rise Up and Call Her Name Apr. 30
(6pm)………………………..…………Annual
Sedar ARE YOU
MOVING???? Have
you moved? If you have had a recent change of
address and would like to continue receiving the Domelight, please remember to list your
change of address on the Guest Register, noting address change. Printing your new
address & phone number clearly will help us keep our records updated. Unitarian Universalist Church of
Tampa One
Place. All Faiths 
FROM THE SMALL
DOME…AND BEYOND
RE CALENDAR 2005
SUNDAY SERVICES NOW
BROADCAST ON FM RADIO
THE GOLDEN
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF UU
Inerweave
will be meeting on April 17th instead of the April 10th. The location is still to be determined and will be
announced at least one week prior. It will
also be posted to our web-page. As always it
will be potluck. Any and all UU’s
interested in Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, and Bisexual (GLBT) issues are encouraged to
attend.
GETTING TO
KNOW NEW UUCT MEMBERS
SILENT AUCTION
A
SKETCHY OUTLINE OF EARLY UUCT HISTORY
COME JOIN US
ALL-AGE
FLORIDA UU FEST
What do Pagans believe?CARE
COMMITTEE
BELIEF SURVEYS
THE MEMBERSHIP
TEAM…..is
looking for a few new players.
Joan Lund
April can be the month sometimes associated with spring cleaning, sprucing up the building
and grounds, and perhaps re-visiting church policies/procedures. Although it is important for all churches to have
safety policies and procedures in place, societal trends have prompted many questions and
concerns about procedures especially to protect children and youth in our congregations. Prevention is the major goal in children/ youth
protection. At my home church (UU Church of
Tampa) I serve on the Religious Education Committee, and we are in the process of
reviewing, updating, and developing additional safety policies related to our young UUs.
There are many components to comprehensive children/youth protection policies. Time and space limit what I am able to relate in
the column but much assistance is available on the UUA website. Comprehensive policies will
not only help protect our children/youth, but also the staff and volunteers from the
possibility of unfounded accusations. The
policies should contain many divisions including: how the RE program will be administered,
staff and volunteer recruitment/training, safety and health protection, and travel safety
protection. Also, physical, emotional, and
sexual abuse protection must be an important area covered in your children/youth policies. Protection for children/youth from high-risk
individuals must be spelled out in detail; and how any type of incident involving
children/youth will be handled by the church.
Volunteers working with children/youth must be screened and many congregations do
background checks on these volunteers. Probably
it is not wise to recruit RE volunteers who are new to the congregation, probably allowing
a prospective volunteer at least six months of functioning appropriately in congregation
life before asking her/him. Folks who come directly from years of service to other UU
congregations may be checked by contacting the former congregation minister and/or RE
director for references and recommendations. It
is prudent to have all church staff and volunteers working with children/youth sign an
established church code of ethics on a yearly basis, copies kept on file.
As adults we must use good judgment and mature wisdom when working with children/youth. Because young UUs are in a vulnerable position
with adults, they are sometimes reluctant to report inappropriate adult behavior toward
them. Children/youth must be taught, and
develop the skills to know when an adult is acting both appropriately and inappropriately
in their presence. It is up to us to be ever
vigilant concerning all aspects of child/youth safety and protection.
Thank you to my UU friends who have called or written with words of appreciation and/or to
ask me to help them in some way. I am not
always successful in my responses but I will give you my best. I look forward to hearing
from you with your ideas, questions, and concerns: jlund@uua.org or lundjb@verizon.net.CALENDAR OF WEEKLY EVENTS
SUNDAY
11am
Child Care (Small Dome)
WEDNESDAY
6pm
Wonderful
Wednesday Potluck
6:45-8: 30pm
Choir Rehearsal (Large Dome)
THURSDAY
CALENDAR OF APRIL EVENTS
Apr.
17………………..…April DOMELIGHT DEADLINE
