Forgiving the sticks, stones,
and words that hurt us.with Reverend Candace Chellew
This Sunday Rev. Chellew will provide reflections for the
Jewish High Holy Days.
Candace Chellew is an author and a professional writer, speaker,
workshop leader, audio/podcast editor and host, songwriter, and spiritual
director. She writes regularly on her Substack, The Motley Mystic.
She is the founder and editor emeritus of Whosoever: An Online Magazine
for LGBTQ+ People of Faith and founder and retired spiritual director of
Jubilee! Circle – an independent, interfaith spiritual community in
Columbia, S.C. She is the author of Bulletproof Faith: A Spiritual Survival
Guide for Gay and Lesbian Christians, published in 2008 by Jossey-Bass.
Chellew’s mission is, as Catholic priest and theologian Richard Rohr writes:
“To help people act effectively and compassionately from an inner
centeredness and connection with God.”
Emily White will give the Time for All Ages,
Scott Morgan will be our Worship Associate,
with music provided by Ryan Pagels.
Stream this Sunday's service here
9:30 AM - Nursery Opens, Annex
Children ages 5 and under are welcome in the nursery from 9:30am - 12:15pm.
Children ages 7 and under are welcome after RE classes until 12:15pm.9:45AM - Meditation Group, Upper Gage Hall
Participants gather for an hour to practice insight meditation and discuss various
aspects of the meditative path and its interplay with our lives.10:00 AM - RE Classes, Upper Gage Hall and Annex
Following RE classes, children will join their grown ups in the sanctuary during service.
Elementary aged students (K - 5th grade) will meet in Upper Gage Hall.
Youth (7th grade - 12th grade) will meet in the Annex.10:00 AM - Forum, Lower Gage Hall
Aaron Polkey – Palmetto Project
We’re off to a wonderful start in Religious Education! I’m so happy and proud to see our children and youth actively participating, and our amazing volunteers stepping in with care and dedication.
Thank you, parents, for making your children’s RE experience a priority.
Kids, youth, and volunteers can join us at any time throughout the year. Email me if you'd like to get involved. emily@charlestonuu.org
Plans for our Halloween Party on Saturday, October 25 are underway!
We’re inviting:
Volunteers to plan and facilitate games for the children (bring your own materials; this is a collaborative project).
Volunteers to set up spooky experiences or stations (also bring your own materials).
Volunteers who simply want to show up on the day to help with what’s already planned.
Folks willing to donate outdoor Halloween décor or inflatables to help transform our space for the party.
If you’d like to be part of the fun, or have decorations to lend or donate; please reach out to me. We’d love to include you! emily@charlestonuu.org
New to UU Happy Hour Friday, September 26; 5:30 - 7:30pm
Commonhouse Aleworks Brewery; 4831 O'Hear Ave, North Charleston
Alliance Rummage Sale Saturday, September 27, 9:00am - 12:00pm
Gage Hall
You have one more day to drop off your donations to the Alliance Rummage Sale. Bring items in good condition that you wish to donate to Gage Hall, tomorrow Friday, September 26 9:00am - 3:00pm. Please do not bring donations while the sale is going on Saturday. Large furniture items cannot be accepted at this time.
And of course, come shop with us and find a treasure on Saturday morning!
Charleston Area Justice Ministry (CAJM) Potluck Luncheon Sunday, September 28, 12:30pm
Lower Gage Hall
Would you like to support addressing the root causes of, and solutions to, poverty and injustice in our communities? Join our Luncheon following service to kick-off a new CAJM year. Whether you are a long time support or brand new to this work, all are welcome to attend to learn more about our work.
The Charleston Area Justice Ministry—CAJM—is a growing network of faith-based congregations who are culturally, economically, geographically and religiously diverse. We come together to make the Charleston area a more just place to live.
UU Millennial Kick-Off Party Thursday, October 2; 6:00 - 8:0pm
Mount Pleasant RSVP to mariahdilling@gmail.com
Join the Docent Program! Each week Friday - Sunday, for three hours, our beautiful sanctuary is open to the public. Docents from our congregation are on hand to tell visitors about our history and answer questions about our philosophy. Docents serve one day a month from September to the end of May.
Anyone can be a Docent! Training is on the job and a new Docent is paired with an experienced one. All the informational material is printed and available in the sanctuary and online in advance. This program is especially enriching for new members. It is not only a way to share our wonderful church building and culture with the community and tourists, but also a vital piece of how we pass down the oral and written history of this congregation.
While we are always in need of new docents, we are particularly in need this fall. We have had to cancel several days of tours due to a lack of available volunteers.
The Sanctuary is open for Docent tours Friday and Saturday 10:00am - 1:00pm and Sunday after church 12:30 - 3:00pm.
If you are interested, email our Docent Team Leader, Ginny Morgan at ginn363@gmail.com.
Interested in joining our vibrant Music Program?
For the singers, our Chancel Choir rehearses every Wednesday! Interested singers are welcome to attend. For other musicians, we have a house band that plays in the Sunday service monthly and rehearses 1-2 times prior to that service. Please email our music director at ryan@charlestonuu.org for more details about our music program.
SAVE THE DATE
Auction Volunteer Interest Meeting October 5; 12:00pm
Upper Gage Hall
Whether you have been a long time volunteer or this is the first you're hearing of "The Auction" we are looking for your help coordinating and planning our biggest fundraiser of the year! We are specifically looking for help soliciting food, gift card, experience, hotel, and homestay donations for the auction. We also are looking for folks interested in helping run the software "Auctria" and event planning for the auction day itself.
If any of this piques your interest, please attend our meeting after service on October 5 in Upper Gage Hall. We will share information about the auction, various volunteer roles, and further define what the auction will look like this year. If you are not able to attend the meeting, but would like to learn more or are ready to volunteer, contact lily@charlestonuu.org.
Endowment Investment Board Meeting Thursday, October 9, 10:00 am
Zoom
The next Endowment Investment Board meeting is scheduled for October 9 at 10am on Zoom. A maximum of 5 members of the congregation may attend if registered to attend two days in advance. You can register to attend by October 7 with Karen Ruef, EIB Secretary, kruef@icloud.com.
On October 4, UUs from across the state will gather in Columbia, SC for a day of community, conversation, and action.
Workshops topics include: The state of Medicaid and SNAP, solidarity with immigrant communities, and a tutorial on talking to your state legislators. There will also be action team meetings for: Climate Justice, LGBTQ+ Justice, Immigration, Racial Justice, Economic Justice, and Democracy & Voting.
There are intergenerational activities all day including: Puppet-Making & Performance, Arts & Crafts, Singing, and Drumming.
Join us Sunday, October 5 at 4:00pm for a musical treat! Local Jazz favorites, the Kevin Patton Quartet, and Charleston's reigning queen of song, Alva Anderson, will be performing in the Sanctuary.
Kevin uniquely merges Gospel and Jazz into a powerful combination that's never been heard before. Much of Kevin's repertoire is original music, striving to be pioneers to a new generation while Alva's richly beautiful voice is complimented by a deep understanding of American music and its Low Country roots. The powerful Kevin Patton Quartet and the splendid Alva Anderson have performed on multiple jazz projects, including performances with the Charleston Jazz Orchestra. It will be fun to hear how they integrate their sounds. Now, that's real Jazz.
Saturday, October 11
Parade @ 9:00am; Downtown Charleston
Festival @ 12:00pm; The Refinery
We will have a float in the parade and also table during the festival in the afternoon. More information for both will follow in the coming weeks. For now, check out the Charleston Pride website for more information on this year's festivities.
Books and Coffee
Sunday, October 12; 4:30pm
Franke at Seaside, Mount Pleasant
For the next Books and Coffee we will review the book PATHOGENESIS: A history of the world in eight plagues by Jonathan Kennedy.
At the September meeting we had a spirited discussion of books read over the summer and our summer fiction selection JAMES. Eight people attended despite the monsoon rain! Contact rhsetser@aol.com for more information.
Join us for this fall Social Justice Council event on Saturday October 18 at 7:30pm in Gage Hall.
Minister's Book Club Lower Gage Hall
Saturday, October 25; 10:00am
In honor of Banned Book Week (Oct. 5-11) we will be reading one of the most banned books in recent years: All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson. This memoir about growing up Black and queer in America explores such topics as gender identity, masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy.
Join Rev. Rebecca in Lower Gage Hall for a Saturday morning of coffee and conversation about these important themes and how we can join the fight to stop book banning.
Blessing box donations can be placed directly in the box, if there is room, or in the storage cabinet in the southwest corner of Gage Hall. Throughout the week, Willart will refill the box outside as space allows.
BOOK OF LIFE
To share a significant life event (births, deaths, celebrations, transitions and other joys and sorrows) send to Marcia Castano at marciapate5@gmail.com by Saturday evenings at 6:00 p.m. or write them in person on Sunday morning.
The physical book is kept at the front of the church near the pulpit.
Interested in joining our wonderful church community?
Click here to learn more about membership.
