ESUUC Newsletter Our Mission Statement: ESUUC is a haven that nurtures open-minded spiritual journeys and advocates for a just, inclusive world.

February 2017 ESUUC 4326 Sardis Road Murrysville, PA 15668 (724) 739-3788 www.esuuc.org Minister Rev. Renee Waun [email protected]

Sunday Services Sunday, February 5, 10:30 am - “Teaming Up” -- Just back from Uganda, Dr. Waun will share updates of the projects and activities at “our” school there, and describe the plan of succession she has put together with others who keep her legacy going there as she looks toward her final trip to Uganda in 2018. Sunday, February 12, 10:30 am – To be announced. Sunday, February 19, 10:30 am - “End of Life Series” - A speaker will continue to address some of the end of life issues that concern us. Sunday, March 5, 10:30 am - “Women’s Rising” - For Women’s History Month we will look at a UU woman who rose above the political conflicts around the Civil War and did some extraordinary work with education and mental health issues. Perhaps this is a model for how, during challenging times—then and now—women rise to the occasion; organizing and creating new institutions with passion and skill. Dr. Waun will present.

Typical Sunday 10:30 – 11:30 Worship Service 11:30 – 12:15 Coffee, Conversation & Committee Meetings

Regular Features: Pastor’s Column .............. 1 Presidents Column .......... 2 Social Hour ...................... 7

Newsletter Editor Mary Warwick [email protected]

Pastor’s Column— Help is on the Way By Rev. Renee Waun Our UU connectional system is really wonderful. Now that the clock is ticking on the timeline of my retirement, we have two specialists from the UUA to lead a retreat on Saturday, March 4: The Rev. Joan Van Becelaere and the Rev. Renee Ruchotzke; both of whom are very familiar with our church and the larger UU picture. Renee has been our main liaison to the UUA for the past few years and now Joan has that role, and it’s great that they are both going to help us work through the process of the next year’s planning. All four of my congregations are invited to send a leadership team to this retreat, so it actually becomes a collaboration of “Renee” people, since they are all experiencing this change at the same time. I hope you will hold that date and plan to attend so that your voice is heard as we move forward. These four congregations represent more than one third of our Pittsburgh Area Cluster of UU congregations, so cluster leadership is also very much invested in the outcome. Please make

Page 2 this event a priority! More details will be announced as they become complete.

President’s Message — UU News By Linda Deer Last fall, we decided to skip our usual Holiday Party in favor of a Holiday Hangover Party, which was held on Saturday, January 14th. It was a wonderful success. There was much good food, chocolate, adult beverages, assorted White Elephant presents and “Apples to Apples” for mature audiences! I think it was truly great fun. I think it was enjoyed by all and hopefully will become our new holiday tradition. It takes some of the pressure off of the November-December holiday season and provides a terrific opportunity to let our hair down and get to know one another. Looking Down the Road As most of you know by now, Rev. Renee Waun has announced her intention to retire and move to Ohio in April of 2018. With this in mind, we have scheduled our Annual Retreat for March 4, 2017 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. We are privileged to have guest leaders, Rev. Joan Van Becelaere and Rev. Renee Ruchotzke from UUA. All are welcome and will include representatives from the Ligonier, Morgantown and Ohio Valley congregations. We ask that you contribute $10.00 each to help cover the cost of lunch and materials. Annual Stewardship Drive We will soon be organizing our kickoff for the annual stewardship drive. You will be receiving additional information formally and informally. While “a church is a fellowship of people”, your contributions are what makes our congregation feasible. As you think about your pledge this year, please consider how much this congregation means to you in your life as well as in our community. Help Wanted We have one Board Member position open currently and, in July, there will be several Board Members completing their two-year terms. We will begin our search for nominations shortly. If you have any interest in serving on the Board, please let John Graham, Brenda Shiring or me know. Open now: Program Committee Chair Open July: Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Secretary, Religious Education Chair, Communications Chair and Facilities Manager We will also be forming a search committee to look for a new minister. Our by-laws dictate that this committee shall consist of seven members – five elected by the congregation and two appointed by the Board. Let us know as soon as possible if you might be interested. As always, if you think you might be interested in being on a committee, come to a few meetings and see if it is something you might enjoy. Until next month, take care.

East Suburban Unitarian Universalist Church 4327 Sardis Road, Murrysville, PA 15668 □ (724) 739-3788 www.esuuc.org

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Communications News By Tabitha Riggio, Communications Chair The Communications Committee would like to extend our most sincere thanks and appreciation to Kathy R for all her time and effort in creating our new website. We are thrilled with it, and hope you are too! There are a couple things we can do to support her: 1) She would like to have additional pictures of our people and programs. Any old picture will do, but do we have any photographers out there? 2) She would like to have additional brief testimonials affirming the quality or value of ESUUC. What does our church mean to you? Please note that both pictures and testimonials will be used or modified at the discretion of Kathy R and the Communications Committee. All submissions may be sent directly to Kathy R at [email protected]. Thank you for your consideration!

Community Update By Melanie Evankovich-Dietz, Ccommunity Facilitator Successful Hangover? Well that was FUN! I declare our first post-Holiday party a success! The ESUUC “Holiday Hangover Party” held at the church Saturday, January 14, 2017 drew around 30 of us for “recycled” booze, food, gifts, and games! We asked that folks bring remnant liquors and partial wines to make into a punch, and the resulting beverage definitely lived up to its name! Many thanks, then, to those who also brought hot dishes and sides to our buffet--the nourishment was definitely needed! Partial bags of chocolate chips and leftover candy went into another dangerous brew--a “Candy Bar Fondue” that had all of the grown-ups acting like (sugared-up) kids. By the way, our dear Reverend Renee has a notable sweet tooth! Who knew? Leftover cheeses blended into a rich and redolent cheese fondue, too! The white elephant gift exchange was also tons of fun--we can be a competitive crew when we’re fighting over coveted UUA wine glasses! My favorite part of the evening, though, was definitely game time. I declare Cards Against Humanity to simultaneously be the MOST and LEAST “UU” game ever! I think we’ve found a keeper of a Holiday Party formula--see you next January! Esoterica East: Think Spring! Would you like to join the planning/hosting committee for the Esoterica East Spring event? We’d like to reexamine and expand the “shopping” portion of the event and add an informational angle.

East Suburban Unitarian Universalist Church 4327 Sardis Road, Murrysville, PA 15668 □ (724) 739-3788 www.esuuc.org

Page 4 Ideas we’ve started discussing at the Holiday EE post-mortem include inviting speakers to present on renewal and or gardening or conservation topics; expanding outside to the fenced area for vendors or events, and inviting a local farm or nursery to sell plants or seedlings. Improvements include inviting a food truck for a percentage of their take vs producing our own food for sale to decrease the burden on our volunteers. Do you have ideas you’d like to share and time to contribute? Please contact Melanie Evankovich-Dietz ([email protected]).

Spotlight on Member: Marianne Jew I moved to Murrysville from Los Angeles 15 years ago and as I had two kids, decided that I needed to find a church where I could provide some base "religious ed" against which they, like their parents, could rail and eventually rebel :-). Although raised Catholic, I chose to visit two local Presbyterian churches, one where I felt overwhelmed by the size and another where I was told that "they respect women but women have 'their place,'" and my third visit was to ESUUC. I will always remember that service: summertime, chairs in a small circle at the front of the sanctuary, half a dozen folks (maybe fewer), ... yikes, there was no "incognito lurking from the last pew" option that day! Dan Begg was facilitating and the topic was "Salons of Early Modern Revolutionary France." What the heck kind of church was this?? I was fascinated. After a few more visits and an enlightening half hour with the Belief-O-Matic® on BeliefNet.com, I was hooked. Thus a new dimension was folded into my life, as a UU and specifically as a member of ESUUC, and I am thankful each day for the people and experiences that have come into my life, and the person that I continue to become, because of those. The congregation is small, so I have to decide (and alternate) between resenting that there don't seem to be enough hands and resources to do "everything" and feeling lucky that I can do things that are meaningful without a lot of church administrative hoops-jumping. That means I could start a scrip program to raise funds for Coming of Age; I could co-facilitate adult RE programs using books like "Wisdom Walk," "The Seeker's Guide," and the UUA "Facing Death With Life" curriculum; I learned along with the other parents how to teach RE to my kids (and looked forward to their final Coming of Age so I could consistently attend the varied and wonderful services each Sunday); I could take a turn as Newsletter and e-News editor, then serve as Treasurer for six years and learn how to say "I need to stop" before burning out and feeling like I had to leave the congregation to get out of the job. This means I get to choose where to put my time and talent; my efforts can have impact, as do the efforts of so many individuals over ESUUC's 50+ year history. ESUUC is like family where we can get to know each other intimately, if I take the time and effort, and where I must choose to get to know the "quiet cousin" instead of always being drawn to the "favorite auntie." As with family, sometimes there are spats and changes I don't want to see. But almost always, I am renewed each time I'm at church or with other congregation members for a service or an activity. Beloved members leave, new members arrive. ESUUC has brought me my best friends; inspiration seeing others work to make the world a better place; grace and support and strength when my mom and my husband Rick died; the amazing East Suburban Unitarian Universalist Church 4327 Sardis Road, Murrysville, PA 15668 □ (724) 739-3788 www.esuuc.org

Page 5 opportunity and encouragement to define my personal spirituality; a caring community in which I can give and receive. My hope is that the ESUUC congregation will continue on for many years, and that each person remain openhearted to the ever-changing mix of members and friends that will make up "the congregation." May each of us find ways to contribute to the community, and in doing so, be blessed by both the giving and the receiving from the gifts and contributions of one another. Flower communion is the perfect expression of these hopes, and is my favorite service each year. Namaste, Marianne P.S. With railing but never out-and-out rebellion, my boys attended RE & some OWL (Lifespan Sexuality Ed), and completed Coming of Age. They no longer attend ESUUC nor any organized church, yet I think they are UUs "of the heart" and I am content to know that they know how to find a spiritual community where they can be both nurtured and giving, where ever they are and who ever they are, when the time

Circle of the Earth CUUPS Chapter Celebration of Imbolc Imbolc is an ancient festival, Celtic in origin, and considered one of the greater Wiccan sabbats. It is celebrated on the night of February 1st in the northern hemisphere. The primary purpose of Imbolc is to celebrate spring’s impending replacement of winter. In this sense, Imbolc may be seen as a spiritual alternative to the secular celebration of New Year's Eve. At New Year's Eve, we often see the image of old, bearded Father Time replaced with a young baby. Father Time represents the old, outgoing year, and the baby celebrates the year just born. At Imbolc, we have similar imagery; an old crone represents the outgoing year, and turns things over to a young maiden. Fertility, of course, plays a part here. The frozen earth is incapable of growing things, just as the old crone has grown incapable of producing offspring. This barrenness is replaced by the warm return of spring, making the earth once again fertile, symbolized by the fertile young maiden. We will be holding this year’s celebration of Imbolc at the church on Saturday, February 4th, at 7PM with festivities to include drumming and feasting! Please bring a drum if you have one – there will be extras available if you don’t – and a dish to share. ALL ARE WELCOME!!!!

East Suburban Unitarian Universalist Church 4327 Sardis Road, Murrysville, PA 15668 □ (724) 739-3788 www.esuuc.org

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Green Congregation Movie Night! The Green Congregation will be hosting a movie night on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7 PM. We will be showing the documentary Before the Flood. If you could know the truth about the threat of climate change — would you want to know? Before the Flood, presented by National Geographic, features Leonardo DiCaprio on a journey as a United Nations Messenger of Peace, traveling to five continents and the Arctic to witness climate change firsthand. He goes on expeditions with scientists uncovering the reality of climate change and meets with political leaders fighting against inaction. He also discovers a calculated disinformation campaign orchestrated by powerful special interests working to confuse the public about the urgency of the growing climate crisis. With unprecedented access to thought leaders around the world, DiCaprio searches for hope in a rising tide of catastrophic news. From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Fisher Stevens and Academy Award®-winning actor, environmental activist and U.N. Messenger of Peace Leonardo DiCaprio, Before the Flood presents a riveting account of the dramatic changes now occurring around the world due to climate change, as well as the actions we as individuals and as a society can take to prevent the disruption of life on our planet. Beyond the steps we can take as individuals, the film urges viewers to push their elected officials in supporting the use of alternative energy sources such as solar and wind power. “We need everyone to demand bold action from their political leaders and to elect representatives who have their best interests at heart, not the interests of corporations to perpetuate a cycle of greed and destruction,” says DiCaprio. “This documentary shows how interconnected the fate of all humanity is — but also the power we all possess as individuals to build a better future for our planet.” For more information or to see a trailer of this film, please go to: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/before-the-flood/ We hope you will all be able to join us for this poignant and timely film!

Cares and Concerns We are committed to providing a caring, helpful response to the needs of our church members and friends. If you are aware of a need, please notify one of our Pastoral Care Team: Renee Waun at 412-731-2834 or Beth Taylor at 724-744-1761. To include a care or concern in the newsletter, please e-mail Mary Warwick at [email protected].

East Suburban Unitarian Universalist Church 4327 Sardis Road, Murrysville, PA 15668 □ (724) 739-3788 www.esuuc.org

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Snacks & Social Hour We welcome the opportunity to mingle and enjoy light refreshments together after service, known as "Social Hour." To make this possible, each Member Family that is able to participate, is assigned one week during the year. Instructions are provided in advance. Thank you! Feb. 5

Glenn Klepac

March 5

Joshua Lechliter

Feb. 12

Jim Dietz & Melanie Evankovich-Dietz

March 12

Gayle Pamerleau

Feb. 19

Valentine’s Day & Sharing Sunday

March 19

St. Patrick’s Day & Sharing Sunday

Feb. 26

David Laird

March 26

George Ratliff

Key Contacts Minister

[email protected]

Pastoral Care Team

Renee Waun Renee Waun, Beth Kurtz Taylor

President Vice President Treasurer Secretary

Linda Deere Brenda Shiring Betty Rostcheck Kate Codd-Palmer

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Communications Chair Community Facilitator Facilities Manager Religious Education Chair

Tabitha Riggio Melanie Evankovich Dietz Lew Ruffing Mary Kukura-Straw

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Committee on Ministry Membership

Gayle Pamerleau David Schwartz Leona Dunnett Melissa Alcorn Ferry

[email protected] [email protected]

Social Justice

[email protected]

[email protected]

East Suburban Unitarian Universalist Church 4327 Sardis Road, Murrysville, PA 15668 □ (724) 739-3788 www.esuuc.org