May 2012 First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin We gather in community to nourish souls, transform lives, and do justice APRIL FUELS DAY Alternative Vehicle Fair Revs Up Saving the green in a smarter, cooler machine is another gear shift in saving the planet. More with less says it best, and The First Universalist Unitarian Church April Fuels Day Al- ternative Vehicle Fair had the best in green transportation on display. Nearly 200 attendees enjoyed the games and cool energy-saving car, bike and scooter showcase. Our Green Sanctuary Committee worked like protons in an electric Prius with the sun- roof open. Twenty church volunteers, several from the Chalice Circle community, formed the can-do posse that helped make it all happen. People could climb around in the vehicles and see themselves riding down a carbon foot-print-less highway in a sweet plug-in, natural gas coupe, bio-diesel beauty, or a hill toppin’ hybrid. Riders swooped around on recumbent bikes and hip electric scooters. Lots of questions were answered on smart auto energy, saving mon- ey, lower carbon footprints and cleaner air and water results. Our Texas Health Credit Union neighbors came out with us, neighborly offering their park- ing lot to accommodate visitors. Visiting with them, we discovered more green news—our church members are eligible for the credit union’s no-cost checking and savings accounts. (top) Green Sanctuary members Pat The Dirigibles provided music that set all toes to tapping as the attendees envisioned them- Bulla and Richard Halpin welcomed nearly 200 attendees to check out selves as future drivers of these fine vehicles. Quite a few likely imagined themselves driving (clockwise from top) a variety of into the sunset in the sweet silver Tesla convertible one generous owner brought to share. bikes and scooters, a silver Tesla After the event, some attendees stopped dreaming about owning one of these money-, fuel- convertible, various hybrids, and a natural-gas-powered Honda Civic, and planet-saving vehicles and ended up buying one. among other vehicles. — Beki and Richard Halpin, co-chairs, Green Sanctuary Committee First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin May 2012 General Assembly of MEG BARNHOUSE the Unitarian Universalist Association Change is Good, June 20–24 Phoenix, Ariz. Painful and Exciting Some members of ll change is difficult, even good change. Last month I had First UU have already registered and made to replace my beloved nine-year-old car. “Time to move travel and accommo- on,” the mechanic said. The new car is gorgeous, smaller dation arrangements. than the old one because I no longer carry my very tall Why don’t you make boysA in the back seat. They drive their own cars. I like it, and I’m plans to join us and thousands of other trying to be happy about it all the time, but I still miss my familiar UUs from around the car with its bumper torn from a run-in with a New Jersey snow U.S. and the world? bank left by the street plows at the end of the driveway. More info: The De- nominational Affairs I miss knowing that, any minute, some- just a little bit, and the Public Affairs Forum bulletin board across thing old and dear could roll out from under group said they could go from noon to 1 p.m. from Meg’s office or the seat, a lacrosse ball or an enormous sock; instead of 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. With grat- www.uua.org/ga there won’t be scratches on this dashboard itude to the Forum for its flexibility and grati- Highlights include: from the shoes of a relaxing teenager. That tude to the choir for its early call this year, • Preparatory presen- car went more than 225,000 miles with me, the Management Team (me, Sean, Brent, and tations and work- and was sturdy and reliable to the end. This Barbara) decided to move everything back shops, followed by month Kiya and I are going back east for our 15 minutes when we start the program year the National Day of boy Ned’s graduation from the University of next September. The first service will be at Witness and Service South Carolina. We’ll get to throw our arms 9:15 a.m., the second service at 10:45 a.m., • Business meetings around him, his beau- and Forum will be at (Plenaries) tiful fiancée Emily, his Expanding the building to noon. • Service of the older brother Sam, fin- welcome those who The Welcome Living Tradition ishing his third year of need us is one task. Center April will be • Ware Lecture med school, and Sam’s finished as this goes • Celebrations and wife Emily, who is go- Expanding our outreach to press. Our little worship services ing to have a baby girl is another. taste of construc- • Regional in June. That old car tion taught us that In-Gatherings got us from middle school to here. it always takes longer than you think it will, • Youth and Young You all have had a lot of changes here in something unexpected always happens, Adult programs the past few years. Many of you were here and change is both good and difficult. Now • Choir during the interim ministries, having self-re- there is one definite, well-lit entrance to the flective and hopeful discussions about what building. It is staffed much of the time with this church is and what you wish it were. knowledgeable and friendly volunteers who Just this year we tried out a whole new Sun- are a welcoming presence to visitors and day morning schedule, worked out with Ed people who call us on the phone. This moves Brock. You were going to try it for six months, us a step towards one of the church’s goals, and then we were going to talk about it. We which is to be intentionally welcoming. What had that meeting last winter and most of you else would make us more welcoming? We’ve were pretty happy with it. The choir has been added about 70 members this year, and they bearing a lot of the hardship, having to report are wonderful people. We’re going to need in for Sunday morning practice at 7:45 a.m. to think together about how to make more They asked if we could move everything back room so we can welcome all of the other folks 2 First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin May 2012 Southwest UU Summer who need this church. We have made ar- FINANCIAL UPDATE Institute rangements with neighbors to use their space Tahlequah, OK on Sunday mornings, and that will give us a A healthy financial July 22-27 little more breathing room. You can bet some more construction will be coming down the picture Save the date for this road, though. That will also be a painful and UU family summer exciting change. Your church had a net income of more camp. Info: De- Expanding the building to welcome those than $6,000 last year. That is to say, our nominational Affairs who need us is one task. Expanding our out- income exceeded our expenses. bulletin board and at: reach is another. We will be beginning a dis- Overall, we ended the year with one and http://swuuc.org/pag- cussion about a congregation-wide outreach a half months of money in the operating es/services/camps/ project with a theme every year. One year it fund (analogous to the family checking ac- swuusi.php might be homelessness, one year hunger, one count). This is a good cushion that should year teen suicide, one year health care. Wen- allow us to manage variations in cash flow Attention dy Erisman, one of our new members, head- during the year. Attendees ed up the congregation-wide projects at her For 2012, your church has its second Keep in touch former UU congregation, River Road UU in consecutive year without a budget deficit! Bethesda, Md. She has stepped forward to be We owe a great debt (figuratively, not lit- Whether attending a leader in this congregation as well, helping erally) to the canvass by your Stewardship GA, SWUUC or other us overlay our current social justice projects Committee and a strong outpouring of regional events, please with a focused effort that involves as much of financial commitment from many mem- e-mail denom@ the congregation as it can. bers. Some families have even made pledg- austinuu.org and One of the foundational spiritual tasks of es that go beyond generous to sacrificial. let us know. Sharing a person and a church is to expand, not its Your Membership Committee, and the contact info helps us building, not its outreach, even, but the sense path to membership process it has initiat- communicate, meet of “us.” It’s easy to embrace the new mem- ed, have also impacted the church’s finan- up and share travel bers, who become instantly part of “us.” Give cial health: not only do we have more peo- and accommodations. some thought to those you think of as “them.” ple joining the church, but a significantly We help “them,” or we do battle politically higher percentage of them is pledging. Auction and with “them,” or we flee from the pain of being We feel grateful to all who have contrib- Masquerade with “them” into the joy of being with “us.” I uted generously with their time, treasure, think there will always be a “them,” but it is and talent.