S e p t e m b e r S e r v i c e s : S u n d a y s 1 1 a . m . — e n t e r o f f F o r s y t h S t .

The Flaming

Chalice September 2018

Unitarian Fellowship of Sarnia & Port Huron Lochiel Kiwanis Centre, 180 College Ave. N. Sarnia, Ontario

… an inspiring alternative for spiritual explorers

“Anybody can create

community with people

who believe just like they

do. The true test of

community rests in the

ability to create it with

people who disagree

with us.”

- Lee Barker, Unitarian

Universalist Minister

The stained glass chalice in the

September 2 : “No Service” - Labour Day Holiday weekend

September 9: “Water Communion & Ingathering” Presenter and SL—Allan McKeown Today we come together for the “official” beginning to another year of “worshipping” together (worship - verb: “to do what is worthy”). Our tradition at this time every year is to invite you to bring a small container of water from your summer experiences. The water could be from Lake Huron or a distant stream and it can be “actual” or “symbolic”. Collecting all of our waters into a communal bowl is a symbol of both our reverence for the substance that gives us life and our promise to work together for a joyful, loving community of “caring, acceptance & friendship”.

September 16: “Where would you be if you could not Read?” Presenter Noelle Fisher, GM OLL; SL—Wendy Starr It is highly likely that you would have difficulty examining the labels on food items, helping your child with his/her homework, reading the menu at your favourite restaurant or understanding the directions on your prescriptions. Without fundamental math and reading skills, you would experience many limitations on a daily basis. Since 1989, the Organization for Literacy in Lamb-ton (OLL) has strived to ensure that all individuals in Lambton County have the opportunity and resources to improve their literacy by offering free math and reading help to both adults and children. Programs run from October to April at 11 sites throughout Lambton County. OLL also offers adults free help with basic computer skills, math, reading, spelling and writing. The or-ganization’s Mission Statement /mandate is to “ensure that all individuals in Lambton County have the opportunity and resources to improve their literacy.”

September 23: “Building Intercultural Peace in Faith-based Communities: An Introduction to Taizé and L’Arche” Presenter Carolyn Chau SL—Sharon MacKay Taizé is a renowned community of Christian monks in France who live together as a witness of peace among Christian denominations, all peoples, and all cultures. L’Arche is a worldwide net-work of communities of differently-abled persons dedicated to the care of persons with physi-cal and mental disabilities. This talk will explore how these two communities are building peace around the globe, one heart, one relationship at a time. The material for this talk is based on a research trip the speaker took in 2013 to visit the original Taizé and L’Arche communities with an aim to understanding intercultural peace.

September 30: “Promising an Adventure” Presenter Rev. Linda Thomson SL—Marianne Nichols Humans have been coming together, working to build communities since the beginning of our history. It isn’t easy work, but it is work that can shape us and define us. It is always an adven-ture. Today, we’ll reflect on the hopes and promise of our Unitarian Universalist Community.

TODAY IS ALSO “BRING A GUEST” SUNDAY (see Page 5) AND SOUP SUNDAY. REV. LINDA WILL BE AVAILABLE AFTER THE SERVICE AND DURING OUR SOUP LUNCHEON TO DISCUSS UUISM WITH GUESTS. THOSE INTERESTED IN “JOURNEY GROUPS” ARE INVITED TO STAY BRIEFLY AFTER THE MEAL TO EXPLORE THIS CONCEPT WITH LINDA.

Welcome Back

I n s i d e T h i s I s s u e

2 Executive Update

3 President’s Message

4 Theme-based Ministry

5 September—Promise

6 Events

7 UU Quotes

8 Welcoming Community & UU Links

Page 2 The Flaming Chalice

(reprinted from summer newsletter) Administration: Our incoming President, Annette Verhagen, would like to start planning this summer for Focus

Groups around a new Social Justice focus and the promotion/marketing of the Fellowship to start in the fall. It was

agreed that Annette can pursue potential facilitator options and then present a plan back to the Executive Team at the

September meeting.

Canadian Unitarian Council’s Annual General Meeting & Conference: Many thanks to Annette Verhagan and

Chuck MacKenzie for being our delegates. Annette missed Saturday due to a previous commitment but enjoyed the

AGM and workshops on Small Congregations and on Faith as well as the Sunday Service. Chuck attended the whole

weekend and enjoyed workshops on Social Justice and Mental Health.

Finance: We will be investing some of our monies into GICs. We will also explore socially responsible investment

opportunities in vetted stocks through the Canadian Unitarian Council. Chuck MacKenzie learned about this option at

the CUC AGM in Hamilton.

Membership: As the incoming Membership Chair, Dwayne O’Neill suggested that we encourage members to invite a

friend to the last service in the months of September and January which are also be Soup Sundays. He recommended

that these services include an introduction to Unitarianism.

Program: We will have services at the Lochiel Kiwanis Centre on July 8th and 15

th as well as a picnic at Canatara

Park on August 12. Jessie will welcome people to her porch for coffee and conversation on the remaining Sunday

mornings over July and August as well as the Labour Day weekend. Regular services will resume on Sunday, Septem-

ber 9, 2018. Many thanks to Wendy Starr for her efforts as Program Chair over the past several years!

Religious Exploration: Our RE teacher has now reported that she will be available for most Sundays of the 2018 –

19 program year. A substitute RE Teacher and Child Care Worker will still be required. As for adults, we will advertise

for ‘Journey Groups’ (small group reflection circles based on the monthly themes) in the fall and will proceed with

these if there is sufficient interest.

Lay Chaplaincy: Only a few services were held in the past month.

Transition to New President and Vice-President: Ann Steadman presented Annette with the Fellowship’s symbolic

‘gavel’. Ann has prepared a list of ‘transition items’. She, Annette and Mark Woolston will meet on July 4th to review

and discuss this list as well as the Fellowship’s “Key Activities” spreadsheet.

Executive Team Meetings are open to all members of the Fellowship. Our next Executive Team Meeting will be held

Thursday, September 13, 2018.

Executive Team Update

Your Executive Team met on June 14, 2018—the

last meeting for the 2017-2018 Program Year

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President’s Message:

(from New President Annette Verhagen)

Welcome back to the Fellowship of Sarnia and Port Huron! The summer is not quite over but soon the leaves will turn to their gorgeous fall colours and we will continue to enjoy the harvest of gardens and celebrate the bounty of this earth. The executive and the program team have decided to continue with theme-based ministry again for the coming year and September’s theme is “promise”. The earth and its cycles of seasons are a comfort as it seems to be earth’s covenant to us that she will always provide. Our reciprocal promise would be to praise, honour, respect and protect the earth and all beings. As your new president, I promise to do my best and listen with an open heart to all members, friends and guests of this fellowship. I want to be in service to this community because community is important to me. I truly believe being in service to a community leads to personal and collective transformation when we commit to the well-being of all. George Bernard Shaw says “I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die. Life is no brief candle for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations”. About six months ago I realized I needed to commit to my well-being in body, mind and soul. I have been doing this already in various forms, but I did not make a specific promise to myself to fully embody such a commitment. I made this promise in early July in a ceremony shortly after my birthday. Sometimes it is easier to make promises to others than to ourselves. We all want to belong and to love and be loved. We don’t always know how we can love ourselves first and then be in service to others because it can be judged as selfish. In reality serving ourselves from a heart centered perspective fills a deep well to draw from in service to our community. I promise to take care of myself and make healthy choices, so that I can be present for others, including the fellowship. I am looking forward to seeing you all at the water communion service!

Sincerely,

Annette

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Theme-Based Ministry

Theme-based ministry is sometimes call theme-based church and it is happening more and more throughout Unitarian

Universalist congregations in North America. Theme-based ministry extends faith development beyond Sunday morning

and it can work in any size congregation.

This year, our Program Team has decided to continue with theme-based ministry. We will continue to follow the same

“themes” as set out by First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto (one month behind them) and if we require assistance at

any time, they are more than willing to help. So, each month our Newsletter will explain and discuss the theme. Then, we

will make a concerted effort to have our Sunday Services reflect that theme in the presentation, readings, songs etc. Other

groups such as Book Club or Men’s/Women’s Group or Small Group may decide to focus on certain elements of that

month’s theme. According to Rev. Scott Taylor who created Theme-based Church, our traditional “one-shot” approach can

lack substance in a culture where substance is already hard to find. Theme-based ministry can involve as much church life

as possible. “It is a powerfully engaging way of focusing the life of a congregation on monthly themes through worship,

religious education, small groups and other activities.” Theme-base ministry can stretch spiritual focus in directions you

may not have previously considered and it can be tailored to the traditions, history and vision of the fellowship or congre-

gation.

Following are the monthly themes for the 2018/2019 program year:

September—Promise

October—Love & Justice

November—Abundance

December—Courage

January—Hope

February—Intention

March—Endurance

April—Balance

May—Emergence

June—Creativity

The Flaming Chalice Page 5

September’s Theme—”PROMISE”

A new Program Year is beginning and as we attempt to continue the idea of “Theme-based Ministry”, we look to the theme of “Promise” for the month of September. There are many different ways to approach life and for things to go relatively smoothly on a day-to-day basis, the majority must agree on what the rules are and then try their best to abide by them regularly. Each of us “Promises” the others that we will accept and follow the rules to the best of our ability. By agreeing to the promise, we are covenanting with each other. Sometimes it takes compromise and lengthy discussion to agree on what the rules will be, similar to our Unitarian Universalist groups agreeing on our seven principles that we all try to follow. We have made the covenant with each other that we will accept these principles and allow them to guide the behavior of our Fellowship collectively and ourselves individually. This theme of “promise” is the underlying one for our activities throughout September. Some of the following questions might help spark your thinking about this aspect of daily life. Discuss them at your leisure at coffee hour with a fellow congregant, at dinner with a friend or family member, or journal your thoughts on your own. “What kinds of promises do you make, if any, in your everyday living?; What challenges do you face in keeping those promises?; If the world or Life could make you a promise, what would you want that promise to be?; If you were to make a promise to the world or Life, what would it be?”; Sometimes living up to the covenant of right relations means setting boundaries, reshaping or even ending relationships. How do you decide when/how to do this? How do you do it with respect and open-heartedness? As we navigate this first month of fall, let’s keep the theme of “Promise” in our minds and reflect on it regularly as we also try to do so through our weekly services and Fellowship activities.

"There are no facts, only interpretations."

- Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)

September 30th is “Guest” Sunday

Sunday, September 30th is Guest Sunday providing an opportunity for members and friends of the Fellowship

to invite/bring a friend or family member as a guest to our Sunday Service.

Rev. Linda Thomson is our visiting minister that day and her topic is “Promising an Adventure”. It will reflect

on the hopes and promise of our Unitarian Universalist Community.

It is also Soup Sunday that day so everyone will be invited to stay and share lunch and conversation after the

service.

This special occasion will allow us to introduce our Fellowship and its special qualities to our friends.

Page 6 The Flaming Chalice

Book Club: Continues to meet on the 3rd Sunday of every month at 9:15 am. at John’s Restaurant on London Line. For September (16th), we will be reviewing the book Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews. The book for October will be decided on at the September meeting. Everyone is welcome to come out and join the discussion, whether you’ve read the book or not.

Men’s Group: Details will be announced as they become available.

Women’s Group: Details of events are emailed to members as they become available.

Small Group Ministry: Members meet every other Thursday afternoon at chosen locations. All are welcome. Contact Betty Learn for info at: 519-337-4039

Regular Events:

Fellowship Picnic Gathering August 12, 2018

It was great to see some 50 UU members and friends come to the picnic at the Beach Pavilion at Canatara Park, Sarnia on Sunday, August 12th.

What a wonderful day. The weather, the view, the food and, most importantly, the company was excellent!

Our ‘many thanks’ are extended to Laurence LeCapelain for so generously funding this event as well as to the ‘Food Team’, Ineke Dijkhuizen (lead), Rennie Janssen and Sharon MacKay - well done ‘Food Team’ ladies! Many ongoing connections within our Fellowship were re-enforced, past connections revitalized and new ones made.

The feedback received so far indicates that folks would like to see a similar picnic happen next summer.

Respectfully Submitted,Ann Steadman, Program Chair for 2018-19

Special Events:

The Flaming Chalice Page 7

Unicamp matters….

Every year since I was 8, I have spent my July’s laughing and learning with the same friendly faces I’ve grown to love as my camp family! In 2014 I participated in the LIT program, followed by CIT the next year. These 2 years really shifted my perspective on camp life and the community it takes to run the day-to-day as we know it. I felt like I was really a part of something important; a place that makes a difference in the lives of anyone and every-one who visits. Since then I have been working as a Unicamp Children’s Camp Counsellor, until this year when I became a facilitator for the CIT program. It has been quite an experience! I have never felt more proud in my life and am so

lucky to have had this team to work alongside ❤. The idea of being a facilitator for a program that had such an important impact on my own life 3 years ago still seems unreal to me. I never would have thought I’d be in this Position, but I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with these kids and share my love of camp with them. They are such an amazing group and I couldn’t be more proud of them and all their hard work this summer! ...Jacoba Plommer, August 1, 2018

Counselors in Training 2018 The three-week Counselor-In-Training (CIT) program finished up July 28. In the photo below, CIT pro-gram participants pose on the steps of Nellie's cottage with their facilitators, Jacoba Plommer and Evan Campbell-Weiner. Jacoba reflects on her experience as CIT Facilitator:

We are very proud of our young ladies who have enjoyed Unicamp over the years and made such a differ-

ence there:

Leila is Head Counsellor and Aria was in Jacoba’s group as a CIT this summer too

It will be interesting to see what happens next.

Unicamp will always remember you ladies and your experiences. We hope you never forget either.

Page 8 The Flaming Chalice

For the latest and past versions of the Canadian Unitarian click on this link:

http://cuc.ca/the-canadian-unitarian/

For the latest CUC eNews & past issues click on this link:

http://cuc.ca/cuc-enews/

For the Unitarian Universalist Associations latest UUWorld click on this link:

http://www.uuworld.org/

“Because of the role that religion has historically

played in denying gay, lesbian, bisexual and

transgender people their full humanity, I believe

that we now have a special calling to reach out

to our GLBT sisters and brothers. We need to

offer an explicit welcome, because the world can

still be a very unwelcoming place. We need to

offer radical acceptance, because neither family

nor society can always be counted on to be

accepting. We need to offer unconditional love,

because Love is at the heart of religious

community.”

— Allison Barrett, Canadian UU Minister

Pease consider sharing this newsletter with a friend and invite them to a service.

Every Sunday is “Bring a Guest” Sunday!

Each issue of the “Flaming Chalice” newsletter is printed by the Organization for Literacy Lambton (OLL): helping every person acquire the gift of literacy.

Newsletter Editor: Wendy Cornelis

To unsubscribe to this newsletter at any time, please send your request by email to:

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