433 Fern Street
West Hartford CT 06107 www.westhartforduu.org
10 AM SUNDAY WORSHIP
February 5
Savoring…Perhaps We
Need a Deeper
Awareness?
Rev. Joy Christi Przestwor
Affiliated Minister
February 12
Embodied Loving
Melissa Spindler-Virgin
February 19
Being Inclusive in an
Exclusive World
Rev. Len De Roche
February 26
Feeding the Hungry
Rev. Len De Roche
H i g hl i g h t s !

Ministerial Search Update

New Adult Enrichment

Blood Drive

Summer worship

Small groups

Pictures from the Women’s
March in Washington D.C.
February 2017
Ministers’ Meditations . . .
Our first service in February we will be welcoming Rev. Joy Christi Przestwor as our
affiliated minister. While you have had associated ministers, and intern ministers, and
interim ministers, I believe Joy is your first affiliated minister. Joy comes to us from a
lifetime of many types of ministries. Please welcome her into this new status.
Whether you were a Hillary supporter, or a Trump supporter, or a supporter of another
candidate; we now have President Trump. Supporter or not supporter, President Trump
comes to office offering us the promise of change and with that anxiety. Our society has
never been as polarized and fragmented as it is now within my lifetime. Even the Vietnam
era society presented issues like Johnson’s Great Society that most of us could agree and
support. The Vietnam era was an issue which divided our congregations. There were those
in our congregations who saw Vietnam to stop the creep of communism into the world;
there were others in our congregations that saw the Vietnam conflict as an issue our
country need not be pursuing. As a congregation, we need to find a way so the Trump
presidency doesn’t divide us. There are some of us who see Trump’s vision for America as
promising. This position should be respected. While I personally see the president’s moral
compass and vision of America as faulty, I will try to present his policies objectively as
viewed through the lens of our seven principles. I invite you all to join me.
After the election, in a very personal sermon, I referred to Mr. Trump as a modern-day
P.T. Barnum. Some of you took offense to this analogy. A year ago, this month on “Meet
the Press,” the candidate Trump embraced the comparisons between himself and one of
Connecticut’s favorite sons and a Universalist, Phineas Taylor Barnum. The president
considers the analogy as a compliment. He said “We need P.T. Barnum, a little bit,
because we have to build up the image of our country.” Next month I will have a service
celebrating a life of P.T. Barnum as his longest legacy, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum
and Bailey Circus comes to a close.
The Women’s Marches in Washington, New York and Boston and the 10,000 people at our
Capital of Hartford are making a statement. I believe this is a statement not disputing the
election and declaring the presidency illegitimate, but a statement about those issues
which women believe need attention by our federal government. Many of these issues are
grounded in those same seven principles that is our belief structure. One of the
fundamental truths about the Women’s March in Washington was there were no arrests
by the police. This is our democracy in action, and our adherence to that principle of the
use of the democratic process.
Next month, we have a service by Melissa and the social justice committee on how to
come to consensus as a congregation on the Black Lives Matter issues. The congregation
has never had a protocol on how to decide which issues to get behind. The last six months
we have been investigating and educating ourselves on the Black Lives Matter movement.
How do we as Unitarian Universalists live our beliefs in the inherent worth and dignity of
every person in view of the inequities we see with in our social structure? How do we as a
relatively homogeneous congregation witness those beliefs? Shortly, the congregation will
have a banner across the front of the church which will profess that were standing on the
Side of Love, but how does that reflect in our actions? I feel the processing and journey of
coming to consensus on an issue will prove to be a pivotal moment in your church’s
history.
Yours in faith and love,
Len
Worship
February 5
“Savoring…
Perhaps We Need a Deeper Awareness?”
Rev. Joy Christi Przestwor, Community Minister
A New Year has begun. We are looking at our
commitments and our inner expectations.
Savoring is a wonderful part of our food
ministry as a congregation and an aspect of our
“souper Sunday”. Does it also have a
connection to our inner lives as both individuals
as well as a conscious collective in our
community? Come, taste and see, if savoring
might be a gateway for further growth. Come
meet your new affiliated minister.
February 12
Embodied Loving
Melissa Spindler-Virgin
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, and our
middle-school youth just beginning the Our
Whole Lives sexuality education programming,
we will consider the crossroads of love and our
bodies. Together we will consider what “loving”
feels like and how we engage our lives through
our individual bodies.
February 19
Being Inclusive in an Exclusive World
Rev. Len De Roche
Our political world has accented our differences
in our society. Len will discuss being inclusive in
this polarized world.
February 26
Feeding the Hungry
Rev. Len De Roche
Len will celebration our food ministries.
Reflections
Christening of Ellen and Dick Babcock’s granddaughter
The antique christening gown was made by Ellen’s
grandmother in 1910. It was worn by several people in
her family:




uncle in 1910
mother (Linnea Fiske) 1914
daughter (Heather Linnea Babcock Poespowidjojo) 1980
granddaughter (Marcela Linnea Poespowidjojo) 2017
Religious Education
Technology, Our Youth, & You
The Youth Group had a discussion recently about social media and technology in their lives. There were few
surprises for we adults in the room; most of our young people are engaging on multiple social media platforms
every day, and several of them almost constantly. Still, it was a little heartbreaking in a new way for me. Most in
the room felt that it was necessary to do so - in fact, most characterized it as a necessary evil. It’s true that the
digital world and social media have an important role in our lives, and can be very useful tools, but to describe it as
necessary seemed completely strange to me. Snapchat wasn’t mentioned in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
anywhere - in fact, most of what I’ve read about (and observed of) our youth would suggest that social media
works actively against those needs, particularly those in the top tiers.
It’s true that I skew “Luddite” when it comes to my interest in the digital world, but that’s not because I think it’s
wrong or evil. It’s not. It’s not good either, it’s completely neutral - like a hammer, or a screwdriver, or any other
tool in my life. There was a time that I was more absorbed in it, but after realizing that it couldn’t fulfill me or
enrich my life, my perspective on it changed. It wasn’t something I needed for reasons like interacting socially, or
affirming my self worth. It was just a tool for communicating. In any event, this is why it is so important to think
about this in the context of our faith community.
Social media and the internet isn’t capable of enriching any of our lives, and we must think about this as we
consider how it fits into our spiritual lives, and the lives of our children. It can help up spread information. It can
help us organize. But it can also distract us from what’s really important. Marx’s opium for the people may have
been religion, but in these early days of 2017 I believe that it is information now that keeps us placated. Our
attention spans have dwindled. Our outrage bounces from one Facebook post to the next. It is not religion that will
hold us down in the coming years, it’s the deluge of unfiltered information sweeping over us every time we pick up
our phones. II believe that it is our communities of faith that will keep us grounded, and focused on the intangibles
that truly matter: our relationships, our values, our self-worth, and the dignity of those we share the planet with.
I know that I can get soap-boxy where this topic is concerned, and I apologize in advance if you’ve heard enough
already. But I’d like to challenge us all, and particularly the parents to consider our Fern Street values when we
think about our places in the digital world. Some of us are techies and that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Neither
should being “connected.” The true test for misuse of technology should be the question, is this distracting me
from living our values? Many of us enforce “screen-free time” in our households and that’s noble for sure. For
those of us who find that challenging, perhaps we should consider it from a different angle: committing to times of
meditation or prayer in our daily lives, when we can truly take the time to focus on what matters. In this way, the
boundaries are already drawn: nobody meditates with their phone in hand. For me it’s getting out and hiking with
the kids and dogs.
In the Youth Group I’ve gotten the teens to commit to putting their phones aside completely for six meetings. If
they can I’m going to treat them to iced cream, but in the meantime I’m working on not being absolutely negative
in my opinions regarding social media. I understand how it can seem so important, and the pressures to
participate are stronger than any that we adults of previous generation felt as teens. And truly, I’ve seen a lot of
activism taking shape on Facebook over the past few weeks. I’m proud of our youth - they’re mobilizing, marching,
and planning important social justice work that they can do with their hands this spring. We UUs are good at
taking real action. We just need to be careful not to get too distracted.
Dan Bouchard
Adult Enrichment
Short Story Discussion Group to
start a new anthology:
Connection ~
Join us for a lively discussion and
dissection of each month’s short story:
2nd Wednesday each month
with
conversation and reflection !
New series of Small Groups to start in early
March.
A Small Group is a friendly circle of 6-12 people who
meet to share their thoughts and feelings on a
range of topics related to their spiritual journeys,
beliefs, and life experiences. It’s a popular program
in many Unitarian Universalist congregations,
including ours, and is a great way to get to know
others in the congregation.
Spring Small Groups will run bi-weekly March
through mid-June. There may be other options as
well - check the Weekly Notes later this month for
further information re. schedule and topics. Sign-up
sheets will be found on the bulletin board in the
main lobby starting in early February - or you can
sign up on the website.
Information can also be found on the website:
www.westhartforduu.org/connect/
small_groups.php
If you have any questions about these groups and
just what they are about, feel free to contact
[email protected] or call Anne
Bailey 860-379-7740
3:15 in the Parlor
And Joy! - it doesn’t take long to read a
short story, so you can fit this into a busy
schedule!
Our source book will be
“Women and Fiction: Stories
By and About Women”,
edited by Susan Cahill
(available on Amazon,
new and used).
This book contains twenty-six short stories by
the finest women writers of the twentieth
century. These well-known and well-loved
authors people their stories with vibrant female
characters, from all over the world and all walks
of life. Separately, each of these stories bears
the mark of a skilled writer. Together, they
celebrate woman in her many roles . . . Superbly
written, and at once poignant and ironic, these
insightful stories capture the essence of being a
woman—in all its similarity, and all its diversity.
Feb. 8:
“The Other Two” by Edith Wharton
March 8: “A Wagner Matinée” by Willa Cather
April 12: “The Secret Woman” by Collette
May 10: “Miss Furr and Miss Skeene”
by Gertrude Stein
Our Caring Church
Daytime Knitting Group
The Morning Knitting Group meets every Tuesday
at NOON and meets in the Meditation Room. This
group is open to every member and friend. Next
meeting February 14th.
We are knitting hats, scarves, shawls, etc. We will
then sell these items during the Christmas Holiday
season; we have done this in the past and it was a
great success. The profits will go to our church.
If anyone wishes to knit at home instead, you can
donate your pieces; crocheted items are also
welcome! Members may purchase our creations,
especially hats and scarves, to help adorn our
Christmas tree. For more information, please
contact Monica Prestianni at [email protected] or
860-593-3587
Shawl Knitting Ministry
Shawl Knitting Ministry: Feb 21 at 7:00 PM in the
upstairs lounge. Come join us as we knit or crochet
shawls of comfort for our church family in times of
joy, crisis, illness, birth, death, love and friendship.
Instruction is happily given. For information,
contact Marian Smith at 860-313-0215 or through
email at [email protected].
Food Pantry
Erika and Kirsten De Roche at the
Women’s March in Washington, D.C.
The Food Ministry's Fern Street Food Pantry goes
into the new year with three successful pantries
behind it. Our next two pantries will be Feb. 18
and March 18. To sign up, please
email [email protected] or call the church
office and leave a message.
Ministerial Search
The month of December found the Committee
hard at work developing our Congregational
Packet, essentially a very thorough collection of
information, including introductory letters,
articulation of where we are and where we see
ourselves going, our history, information on
Sunday services, religious education, our facilities,
our church community and activities, as well as
information about the town of West Hartford and
biographies of key members of the congregation,
including the Search Committee members.
At the beginning of January, the MSC requested
access to the Ministerial Records of all 20
candidates interested in our church. After our
review, we determined which of the potential
candidates we would exchange packets (our
Congregational Packet and their Minister’s
Packet). After individual reviews of the packets,
which included a great deal of reading, listening to
sermons, watching videos of ministers at various
social action events, the MSC decided as a group
who we wanted to interview for further
discernment. Interviews of not only potential
ministers, but also their named references, will be
taking place the last week of January and the first
week of February. Out of this preliminary list of
potential candidates, the Search Committee will
select three or four “pre-candidates”.
Gratitude Corner
The Ministerial Search Committee would like to
extend a heartfelt thank you to Ellin Katz, Tracey
Wilson and Ben Loveland for their important
contributions to the Congregational Packet. Ellin
and Tracey provided well-written content about
our town, our church, relationships with past
ministers and Ben formatted and designed the
electronic packet so we could best showcase our
church with pictures, videos and virtual tours.
THANK YOU Steve Marks for installing and setting
up wireless thermostats in our church. More
thanks goes to Andy Hahn for putting the
thermostats on timers so we can heat the church
only when needed. We will save thousands of
dollars with this new system!
Volunteers Needed
The Building and Grounds Committee will have another Work Day:
February 4th 8:30—Noon
[or later, as your schedule permits]
Tasks will include various painting tasks and replacing stained and broken ceiling tiles. We'll probably
find more tasks as we get closer to the day.
Please sign up on the main bulletin board.
Sue Wilson, Maxine Fischer and Joe Wilson
at the Women’s March in Washingington, D.C.
Worship Committee
2017 Summer Services
What is Your Ministry? Volunteers Needed!
It’s never too early to plan ahead. This summer, we expect to have selected our new settled minister, who
will begin serving the congregation sometime in August. By the end of June, our interim minister, Len De
Roche, will have completed his two years of excellent leadership. Our ministerial intern, Melissa S. Virgin,
will also have completed her internship. This summer starting July 9, members of our congregation will
need to lead a minimum of 6 services in the sanctuary. We are looking for volunteers. The theme of this
summer’s worship services is “What is Your Ministry?” Consider your experience in this church, your values,
spirituality, thoughts or what you do outside the church as a volunteer in the community. See the
“Statement of Our Church’s Ministry” below.
The Worship Committee will help volunteers to plan a service, including providing a simple template Order
of Worship and providing a music program for their service. Planning a service starts with writing a simple
script following the Order of Worship. Friends can help you with the welcoming and readings. The fun part
is writing your sermon. You have six months to think about it. Contact any member of our Worship
Committee for help with the process. Please consider being a lay-minister this summer.
Statement of Our Church’s Ministry
We are blessed with the opportunity to participate, to dedicate ourselves to our church’s ministry, a
partnership of minister and a supportive congregation serving each other and our community.
Our ministry understands that a congregation is as strong as its membership and diversity. As unique
and special individuals, we are all equal, finding common purpose, strength, faith and a home in this
inclusive and welcoming congregation.
Our ministry supports the dream that this congregation will outlive us and carry on our wonderful
Unitarian/Universalist Principals, a tradition of love, religious and intellectual freedom and social
activism.
Our ministry focuses on sustaining and growing our congregation and also nurturing and growing our
spiritual lives, our compassion and commitment toward reaching out and helping others.
Our ministry promotes all the good works, educational and social action and justice commitments of
this church, inspiring our membership and volunteers, and serving as a beacon of hope in our
greater community.
We dedicate ourselves to our church’s ministry.
The Universalist, the newsletter of the Universalist Church of West
Hartford, provides parishioners and friends with information about
our congregation and our larger community. Please send changes to
any of your contact information to: [email protected]
Next Newsletter
Submission Deadline
February 15
Newsletter
Mailing Date
February 24
Universalist Church
433 Fern Street
West Hartford, CT 06107
Phone (860) 233-3669
Fax (860) 570-1205
Web Site: www.westhartforduu.org
E-mail: [email protected]
Email newsletter items to [email protected].
Submissions are limited to 350 words. Editorial note: at the
discretion of the staff, the content of all insertions may be
subject to editing.
Rev. Len De Roche, Minister, ext. 104, [email protected]
Melissa Spindler-Virgin, Intern Minister, ext. 102, [email protected]
Ted Hine, Director of Music, ext. 107, [email protected]
Lisa Sgamboti, Church Administrator, ext. 106, [email protected]
Rita Barrett, Bookkeeper, ext. 103, [email protected]
Dan Bouchard, Religious Education Coordinator, ext. 111, [email protected]
Dan Bouchard, Senior High Youth Advisor
Molly Turro, Senior High Youth Advisor
Pete Begin, Treasurer
Lambert Laing, Custodian
Yvonne Laing, Custodian
Kathleen Anderson, Sexton
Cindy Schafer, Website Editor
Herb Emanuelson, Social Media Editor
Lisa Smith-Horn, Newsletter Editor
Women’s March Participants from
Universalist Church of West Hartford – January 21, 2017
Washington, DC
Laura Chomentowski
Sherri Englehart-Shea and daughter
Elise Falkin
Maxine Fischer
Colleen Fitzpatrick
John Harmon
Sarah Ivins and Pei
Jen Krebsbach
Debby Kreitner
Donna and Rachel Leibin
Linda Miron
Liz Narwold
Katy Perry and Devin
Page Pierce
Irene Scheibner and Joan Twiggs
Lisa Smith-Horn
Sue and Joe Wilson
Boston
Jody Gray-Linden
New York City
Bebe and Sam Billings
Sue Giniso
Denise Kennedy
Linda Scacco and Ed Turro
Nan and Jon Wheeler
Felicia Morgan
Marge and Steve Swigert
Hartford
Beth Bye and Tracey Wilson
Joyce Harmon