Interim Reflections
This week we have welcomed
seven new members. UUMAN is
growing. At a time like this it might be
useful to look at the fullness of this growth.
In his classic book,
More Than Numbers: the Way Churches Grow, Loren Mead of the Alban Institute suggested
the following categories of growth needed by a church:
- Maturational
growth, the stature and maturity of
each member in his or her faith and in the ability to nurture and be nurtured
in the community. He asks us to look at
the quality of spirituality that is present in the church, and notice how
members and friends are nurtured in the growth of their souls by their
relationship with the church community.
- Organic growth refers to the growth of a congregation as a
functioning community, its ability to maintain itself as a living organism, as
an institution that can engage the other institutions of society. To perceive the organic growth of a
congregation requires that we can imagine and understand the nature of
religious community. It calls for
knowledge of how organizations grow and change and function…..plus an awareness
of the “bone structure” of the church.
- Incarnational
growth is growth in the ability to
take the meanings and values of our Principles and Purposes and make them real
in the world and society outside the congregation. How does UUMAN grow in its ability to “en-flesh
in the community” what Unitarian Universalist faith is all about?
- Numerical
growth, the ordinary descriptions of
Sunday attendance, size of budget and numbers of activities which give an
indication of the numbers of active and involved members, may be the easiest to
describe, and necessary, but not as useful
in describing what is most important or successful about a religious
community.
These four aspects of
congregational life are interrelated here at UUMAN. What I have noticed is that when a
congregation focuses on maturational, organic or incarnational growth,
numerical growth is an inevitable result.
I invite you to consider your
part in the life of the church, and to remember when you speak in numbers, they
can only represent a measure of human and spiritual enthusiasm and health—more really
than mere numbers can express.
Faithfully,
Reverend Sue Turner, Interim Minister
Heart's Desire Tickets on Sale
UUMAN's Annual Heart's Desire
Goods and Services Auction will be held on Saturday, February 21st at 7 p.m. It
promises to be a night of fun and frivolity. Tickets are $15 a person or $20
for a party pack. A party pack includes one ticket for a UUMANite and up to 8
tickets for guests who are outside of the UUMAN community. The tickets for
non-UUMAN folks are a different color, so don't get any ideas!
The ticket
price covers the expense of heavy hors d'oeuvres, wine/beer, soft beverages, and
dessert. Already we have lots of great donations (art work, movie nights, a
weekend getaway, a weekend at The Mountain). Please buy a ticket for this very
important UUMAN fundraiser. For information, or to make a donation, please
contact Elizabeth Rohan at 
or call
(770) 645-6430.
Music News of Note
Articles submitted by Randy Wilber
Combined Choir
Experience in February
The UUMAN Chalice Choir and the Chancel Choir of
Eastminster
Presbyterian Church in Marietta
are combining voices for two Sundays in February. The men of both choirs will
be singing under Randy’s direction and the women will be singing under Eileen
Morman’s direction (director at Eastminster).
There are several connections
between the two churches which make for a good temporary marriage. Randy was
the director at Eastminster during the late 70’s and early 80’s while he was
working at
Walton
High School. Eileen was
the choir director at our Northwest congregation some years ago and still
claims to be a Christian UU. On Sunday, February 8, the men will
be at UUMAN and the ladies at Eastminster. Then on Sunday, February 22,
the two groups will swap churches. This ecumenical sharing of voices allows for
building bonds between differing faith groups. It also allows us all the
opportunity to hear music just for men’s or women’s voices. You will not want
to miss either Sunday.
Third Annual Music
Reading Retreat
On Saturday, March 7, some 90 UU singers and
directors from the north
Georgia
area will once again meet to read through new music. This year a contingent
from
Macon and
Auburn, Alabama
will being joining in.
UUMAN initiated this special half-day music retreat three
years ago by inviting the area directors to choose 4-5 new anthems to introduce
to the group. Each director also brings a small contingent of singers from
his/her church to help form a truly exceptional choir. Each choir member will
be allowed the opportunity to rate the anthems so that the directors will know what
pieces are good prospects to purchase.
UUCA will be hosting the retreat this
year. However, the logistics of putting the retreat together are still being
organized by UUMAN. Strong bonds are being forged between the directors and
singers. There have even been whispers about putting together an ongoing UU
mass choir.
Calling All
Instrumentalists
Do you have an old band instrument collecting dust in the
closet? Did you once play in a school, college, or military band? Then it’s
time to resurrect that old instrument and renew the joy you used to experience
when playing it.
A number of you have asked about putting together a UUMAN
band/orchestra. Well, now is your chance. Randy has promised to drag out his
saxophone if the rest of you will also liberate that old instrument from the
closet. Please, email Randy or call him ASAP so that he will know about your
potential interest. Time is of the essence so contact Randy today
: 
or
call 770-814-8800.
(Mister Ed. notes: Anyone remember the Portsmouth Sinfonia?)
Eleven UUMAN Drummers Drumming?
Or perhaps many more. Pamela Reich is forming a drum group in Roswell,
lead by Chuck Cogliandro. The
class is for all levels and anyone interested in learning West African drumming
and culture. It is currently
held on Tuesday evenings from 5:30-7:00 at the Adult Recreation
Center on Grimes Bridge Road. Class price is $15.
per class.
The
structure will change in March, offering a six week session and a price break
for Roswell
residents. Information and
registration will then be available through the City of Roswell Recreation
& Parks Department:
www.roswellgov.com
- until then, if you're interested, contact
.
February Worship Services
February 1, 2009
Promises, Promises / New Member Induction Ceremony - Reverend Sue Turner
February 8, 2009
UUA Association Sunday - Sue Bell/Randy Blasch
February 8, 2009
What Love is This - Jim Saunders (Worship Associate: Kelsey Bogue)
We all search for
love in our life and it comes to use in many forms. If we are
fortunate we find a life partner for romance. We understand the need
for love as children and even if we do not get all the love we want
from our family we find seragate Mothers, Fathers, brothers, and
sisters. Many of us build on our extended family at UUMAN. When we
have children we learn parental love. When we have grandchildren there
is a special bond formed due to a common enemy.
February 22, 2009
Ministry is All That We Do – Together - Reverend Sue Turner
I have begun to consider what would be most
useful to you as you ready yourselves to meet the candidate chosen for your
approval by your Search Committee. What
is the nature of ministry? What is the
role of your called minister? What can
you count on? It is time to reflect upon
the nature of ministry..
Ministry with Children and Youth Calendar Highlights
Feb 6-7 Junior Youth Mountain Con
Feb 7 Volunteer REjuvenation (9am - 1pm)
Feb 13 Senior Youth Lock-in (6-11pm), Fellowship Hall
Contact Toniann
Office Hours:
Wednesday 10.00am-3.00pm
Friday 10.00am-3.00pm
Sunday 9.30am-2.30pm
Office Telephone
(770) 992-3949
Email
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UUMANTimes is the newsletter of the Unitarian
Universalist Metro Atlanta North congregation. We heartily welcome all types of
newsletter submissions, and often manage to publish them as well.
Please email your
articles, editorials, announcements, sonnets, seditious rants and unclassifiable prose to Mister Ed.:
