Rev. Kim in the Pulpit on May 3

Rev. Kim will be returning from sabbatical soon and will be in the pulpit on May 3. The Sabbatical Team is working on ways to welcome her back in our new virtual world of church; please look for more information next week.

When Rev. Kim is back at UUCWC, she will be available at “office hours” that she will establish, and for certain pastoral concerns.  Again, keep an eye out for more information.

Rev. Kim’s  Sabbatical Team continues to be available for questions at this time.

Pandemic Pastoring

Rev. Sue Goodwin, Minister of Congregational Life

I hope this letter finds you safe and healthy. So much as changed in the last month and much remains the same. March 8 was the last time we gathered in the sanctuary and I think we all knew then, that we would need to find new ways of doing church, and of being the church. And we have.  Read more…

Rev. Sue’s time with us will end on May 2. We are grateful for all that she has brought to UUCWC, especially at this time.  We can’t express our gratitude to her with a celebratory gathering, but Rev. Sue would appreciate receiving cards at her home address.

Staying Connected While Staying Close to Home
Robin Pugh, Director of Lifespan Religious Education

Although we are each staying close to home, I want to help you stay connected with each other. Listed below are some ways you can stay in touch with UUCWC virtually.

If you want to connect with people in a small group that offers honest reflection and deep listening without small talk, I recommend joining a chalice circle. See https://www.uucwc.org/learning/adult-learning-classes/ for more information.

For families, I host two weekly parent check-ins and four weekly children/teen gatherings. Contact me at dre@uucwc.org for Zoom invitations.  Read more…

Robin can be reached at dre@uucwc.org.

Board Plans for the Annual Meeting

Nathalie Edmond, President, Board of Trustees

The Board continues to meet regularly to assess the church’s financial future and plan for our annual meeting. The Board has voted to have the annual meeting virtually on Sunday, June 7. The bylaws that were voted on in June 2019 allow for more options for having annual meetings. There are logistics to work out in terms of voting but the Board is excited about continuing to find new ways to connect virtually.  Read more…

Capital Campaign/Project Update

Jayme Trott and Susan Vigilante, Co-Chairs, Capital Campaign

Good news (we hope) – the Hopewell Township Planning Board meeting, where the application for approval of our Site Plan will be considered, will be held virtually on Thursday, April 23.

We expect to have nearly final architectural plans that include Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing (MEP) in the next few days and will initiate the search for a contractor. Although we had hoped to have a church-wide information session to show the detailed plans and answer questions at this point, we can’t really do that via Zoom.  We will plan to hold such a session as soon as we can schedule it live at church.  Read more…

Getting to Know You

Sandy Muccioli, Chair, Nominating Committee

The role of the Nominating Committee is two-fold. The first is to meet with and get to know you, our UUCWC members, to learn what energizes you, how you are most comfortable working with others and if you can spare time for regular committee involvement or would prefer “one-offs,” i.e. targeted tasks that are not ongoing. If you have served in the past we would also like to hear about your experiences and insights.

Secondly, and most importantly, the Nominating Committee is charged with the task of putting forward names to be voted into leadership roles by the Congregation at the Annual Meeting. There are openings on the Board of Trustees, Nominating Committee and Endowment. Denominational Affairs also needs a new Chair. Read more…

Earth Day at 50
Al Johnson and Barbara Drew, Co-Chairs, Earth Ministry

April 22, 2020 marks the 50^th anniversary of the first Earth Day. Most of us won’t remember precisely where we were that day or didn’t even hear about it. I don’t remember that specific day, but I do remember the first time I participated in an Earth Day event, which was a glass recycling collection. We gathered in a church parking lot and instead of current practices of carefully placing breakables in our recycling bin, we got to smash the glass. I had so much doing that!

From that first Earth Day in 1970, which drew millions of people rallying and demanding action, came numerous landmark laws and actions. Here is a very condensed overview of the five decades of environmental progress with a global perspective.

The Earth Ministry Team was poised to offer many special activities for this 50th anniversary and springtime. Watch for details for offerings when our church doors are open once again.

Meanwhile, we hope you are getting outdoors and enjoying springtime. I find myself feeling gratitude every day for my own little piece of ground, the fresh air and spring blooms.  Celebrate your own Earth Day…your sanctuary in place. Celebrate our earth and all it provides us.  Read more here…

Loaves and Fishes Saga
Ed Dobrowolski, Social Action Ministry

The Loaves and Fishes project began this year with a few new ideas. Volunteers from the UU Congregation of Princeton took a new look at the menu of food that we’ve been providing for many years. Perhaps it could be more nutritious and more economical. There were a series of meetings with UUCP, weighing the options.  Little did we realize how different things would become.  Read more…

From UUCWC’S Food Ministry: HomeFront Needs Your Help
Ed Dobrowolski

During these uncertain times, our community’s needs are greater than ever. The Food Ministry can’t cook our scheduled meals which means our clients are not being served the nutritious meals we would normally provide. We cannot let this situation stop the fulfillment of the Food Ministry’s mission. We would like to propose a church-wide effort to continue our assistance. Read here…  And details on an easy way to drop off diapers and foods, items that are urgently needed.

Faith Action Ministry Update
Barbara Jensen, Faith Action Ministry

UUCWC’s Faith Action Ministry (FAM) sends out a weekly email titled, “Actions From Home” and has received a great response. If you would like to receive the “Actions from Home” emails, please email FAM@uucwc.org.

Over fifteen congregants donated food and gift cards for the families of the FAM ESL Program who are in crisis. This included the families of the cooks for our Cena Latina event and one of the presenters. These generous contributions also enabled us to provide food to the families of our partner church, St. James AME – Hightstown. These families are all struggling with so much.  We feel that the health and economic crisis we are currently in is calling us to continue the work of building a Beloved Community within and outside our church walls. Read more…

Information on joining Sunday’s virtual service via Zoom will be emailed to you on Saturday morning.

Stay Connected With Our Community

We’ve added pages to the UUCWC website to keep you informed of the changes in the way we do church due to the ongoing health emergency, and to help you stay connected with our community.

UUCWC’s COVID-19 Response

Sunday Services at UUCWC During COVID-19

Event Updates

Virtual Church Offerings Through the Week

Check in often for updates!

UUCWC Online
Auction 2020!

Bidding will be open from May 2 – May 9

The Auction 2020 Program Book is ready! It is available as a pdf document. You can also pick up a hard copy of the book on April 26. Details here.

See the auction page for info on registering for the online auction and previewing the online auction site.

Contact the auction team with any questions.

Half of the Auction proceeds, over the budgeted amount, will be donated to Isles.

Endowment Committee Awards Grants for 2020-2021

While we don’t know what the economic situation of the country will be in the coming months, the Endowment Committee is happy to report some good news right now.  Due to good returns last year on our Endowment Fund, we were able to approve a number of grant requests.Read more…

UUA General Assembly

June 24 – 28, 2020

Rooted, Inspired, & Ready!

The Unitarian Universalist Association’s General Assembly will be a 100% virtual event. See the GA webpage for more info.

UU FAithAction NJ‘s Annual Meeting has been rescheduled for June 6. More info to come.

UU PA Legislative Advocacy Network‘s Annual meeting will take place virtually on Saturday, April 25.

Easy Money for UUCWC

Wendy Stasolla, Fundraising Chair

If you are already shopping through Amazon, please keep in mind that, at no additional cost to you, UUCWC receives 4% cash back of your purchase total every time you go to the Amazon website by clicking through the link on the UUCWC homepage. If you have any questions about how this works reach out to Wendy Stasolla. Read more…

It Takes a Village

The Pastoral and Caring Ministry is way more than nine people. There are 110 volunteers on our Lotsa Helping Hands website that are on call to provide meals, transportation, and other services to members in times of joy and need. Beyond that there are the many groups that look after each other on an ongoing basis. As the weeks of physical distancing wear on, the Pastoral and Caring Ministry has initiated a proactive check-in calling routine to ensure that no member, friend, or participant is lacking a caring connection with UUCWC on a regular basis. Read more…

The Pastoral and Caring Ministry is always available via phone or caring@uucwc.org. Contact them if you or someone you know would benefit from their ministry.