March 2019

ALL SOULS NEW LONDON

A Unitarian Universalist Congregation

19 Jay Street, New London, CT 06320

All Souls Unitarian Universalist Congregation is a liberal religious congregation

that nurtures lifelong spiritual development. We covenant to create a

welcoming, caring, justice-seeking community within and beyond these walls.

Black Lives Matter PUBLIC WITNESS ON SUNDAYS

AFTER THE FIRST SERVICE

March Ministry Theme - Hope

Words to live by: “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” Nelson Mandela

March 3: “On Human Rights, Personal Experience, Difficult Times … and Hope”

Two services: 9:30 and 11:15 a.m.

Worship Leader: Reverend Caitlin O’Brien

Guest Preacher: Maryam Elahi

Maryam Elahi is President of the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2013 and for more

than 25 years, she served in positions of leadership in the international human rights community as an advocate, teacher, and grant-

maker.

March 10: “Keeping Hope Kindled: The Central Religious and Spiritual Task”

Spring Ahead – Daylight Savings Begins

Two Services: 9:30 and 11:15 a.m.

Worship Leader: Reverend Carolyn Patierno

You have heard me say it many times. This will be a deeper reflection on keeping hope kindled as individuals and as a congregation.

March 17: “Irish Eyes”

Two Services: 9:30 and 11:15 a.m.

Worship Leader: Reverend Carolyn Patierno

Preacher: Reverend Caitlin O’Brien

We will enjoy live Irish music, consider the story of Saint Patrick, and wonder about the role that heritage plays in each of our lives.

Good Neighbor Offering: MLK & Hispanic Alliance Scholarship Funds see page 9 for details.

In lieu of our typical Food Pantry Offering and in honor of Women’s History Month, we’ll be taking up a collection of menstrual supplies

to be given to the Visiting Nurses Association and the New London Public Schools. Donate tampons and pads that will be distributed

freely to women with little access.

March 24: Purim Play! One multigenerational service at 10:00 a.m.

Purim Play – March 24 at 10 a.m.

This multigenerational worship service will be a community celebration of this Jewish holiday. that celebrates Esther’s bravery, Mor-

dechai’s wisdom and boos the evil Haman.

Many roles, large and small, both in the play and behind the scenes, so contact Perry at dirfaithformation@allsouls.net to participate.

March 31: “Go 'Round the Long Way!”

Two services: 9:30 and 11:15 a.m.

Worship Leader: Reverend Caitlin O’Brien

Guest Preacher: Rev. Dr. Claudia Highbaugh

Do you listen to the news? We get news streaming on our devices all day long, mostly bad news, strange news or gossip that has no

relevance to anything in our individual lives. What we get is stress, anxiety, questions. We anticipate worse case scenarios and terrible

consequences. This Sunday morning we will "go 'round" and find some ways to contemplate best case ways of living, being, thinking,

loving and caring for ourselves, and our people. This hour of time together is the quick start for a new week. We will reach into our

sacred life journey to find quiet comfort and inspiration for the week to come.

Rev. Dr. Highbaugh spent her career serving institutions of higher education, most recently as the Dean of the Office of Religious &

Spiritual Life at CT College. In her (new) retirement, she is organizing a civil and human rights learning trip to AL for the Greater New

London Clergy Association.

2

A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

The train has left the station as is often

said. To follow on Maggie’s car ride

metaphor with another transportation

reference, All Souls is moving forward full

speed ahead, on track to building a

new way.

From where I sit, I must say that the

pace of change at All Souls in the last

year has been a bit head spinning. And

our ability to set a course and get there

has been nothing short of inspiring. Re-

call for a moment:

• We made the commitment to staff-

ing for growth and set an ambitious

goal to fund it and to build our per-

son-power to support where we

want to go as a congregation.

• We made a commitment to be-

come a sanctuary congregation

and a super committed task force

formed to support the effort.

• We agreed to move forward with

the feasibility study and through it,

demonstrated our ability to raise the

funds to support building expansion

in a capital campaign.

• Dozens of people came forward to

volunteer for the capital and stew-

ardship campaign efforts.

• We realized that some changes to

our building plans needed to hap-

pen. New plans came together

very quickly and preserved the ele-

ments of the addition that are most

important to the congregation.

Now we are cruising along toward shov-

els in the ground later this year. So yes,

my head is spinning.

Our success, which I am certain we will

see, rests on each and every one of us

playing some part in the capital cam-

paign in order to make the plans now

on paper ultimately a reality. It doesn’t

matter the size of your contribution be-

cause everyone has a part to play.

How excellent will it be when we dedi-

cate our new space to be able to say

that every Soul contributed to it? Can

we make that the next milestone that

we reach? I have no doubt that we

can get there given the degree of de-

termination in our midst.

Thank you to all that have brought us to

this point. And thank you in advance to

all that will support All Souls in getting to

our destination.

Peace,

Laurel Holmes, Co-President

Visitor Parking Spaces

We have created four visitor park-

ing spaces at the entrance to the

parking lot. These spaces are re-

served for visitors who might be at-

tending All Souls for the first, sec-

ond, or even third time. Newcom-

ers do not know all the options for

parking that most of us are aware

of, such as the courthouse parking

lot or Safe Futures lot opposite on

Jay Street.

We ask that those spaces remain

empty so they are available for

people who arrive well before start

time or arrive late for their first All

Souls experience. Please avoid the

temptation to park in these spots.

We wish to make these first visits as

easy and stress free as possible.

Please do your part to make our

guests feel welcome.

Questions? Sid Gardner at

sagardner@snet.net or

860-376– 0525

OFFICE

Monday-Friday

9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Telephone: 860-443-0316

Fax: 860-444-2420 WEBSITE

www.allsoulsnewlondon.org

FACEBOOK

www.facebook.com/

allsoulsnewlondon

MINISTERS SENIOR MINISTER

Reverend Carolyn Patierno carolyn.patierno@allsouls.net

ASSOCIATE MINISTER

Reverend Caitlin O’Brien

associate.minister

@allsouls.net

STAFF DIRECTOR OF FAITH FORMATION

Perry Montrose dirfaithformation@allsouls.net

OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

Tammy Barber

office@allsouls.net

RE ADMINISTRATOR

Arlene Stoltz

readmin@allsouls.net

CHOIR DIRECTOR

Tonya Laymon

choir.director@allsouls.net

BOOKKEEPER

Ria Brooks

bookkeeper@allsouls.net

Custodian

German Vazquez

ACCOMPANISTS

Gery Elliott & Bil Groth

SOUND TECHNICIAN

Jesse Edwards

BOARD of TRUSTEES Co-Vice Presidents: Maggie

Clouet and Laurel Holmes

Vice President:

vacant

Treasurer: Brad Mock

Secretary: Andy Derr

Judy Beahan

Denise Davies

Tina DuBosque

Brad Mock

Rebecca Noreen

RE DIRECTOR EMERITA

Sandy Geaman

A huge thank you to Nicolo

Festa for his proofreading

the newsletter each month.

3

A MESSAGE FROM REVEREND CAROLYN

I’m writing I the midst of our first real snow-

storm of the season. I’m home, safe, warm,

and fed. I realize that I’m more fortunate

than many.

This morning I stopped by Fiddleheads where

folks were already preparing to be home-

bound later in the day. I came in from be-

neath a slate-grey snow-is-coming sky. There

was an expectant air in the place.

I was rounding the chocolate corner when

over the sound system comes Allison Krauss

singing, “Down to the River to Pray”. If you

know this song you know that two notes in,

you can’t help joining in. I once chose to

use this song as a meditation in a worship ser-

vice. What was I thinking? Two notes in, 15

ministers joined their voices. As the hymn

asks: how could we keep from singing?

So I was in the chocolate aisle determined to

resist the chocolate and so singing I headed

to the register to check out. As I got closer I

heard the woman at the cashier register

singing along, too. I see her frequently as I’m

at Fiddleheads pretty regularly and over the

years we’ve established a lovely acquaint-

anceship. I didn’t feel like I needed to stop

singing and in fact, Jen encouraged me,

“Sing out!” she said. So there we were in our

own little private church service singing, “Oh

Sister, let’s go down, let’s go down, c’mon

down. Oh Sister let’s go down, down to the

river to pray ….” We prayed as we sang and

as we prayed and sang she checked out my

kale and quinoa salad and I bagged up my

wares.

And then, too soon (because the song was

not over) I thanked her for singing with me,

for that impromptu, grace-filled moment of

joy and connection with and to each other

and yes, to something beyond understand-

ing. “What a great way to start the day!” I

said to her with gratitude.

I hope that you are discovering random mo-

ments of goodness, kindness and grace as

winter turns to early spring. And in the midst

of the cold season, don’t forget to come to

church, dear Souls – where you may join your

voices with others in all sorts of ways that will

fill your heart and soul. Maybe even a choc-

olate treat.

With Love and blessings, Carolyn

I’ll be preaching at the First Religious Society

of Newburyport, MA on March 3 on the oc-

casion of Reverend Rebecca Bryan’s installa-

tion. Rebecca was All Souls’ intern from 2013

-15 and was ordained by the congregation.

I will be bringing your good wishes and bless-

ings along with me!

4

Faith Formation Perry’s Ponderings

Linda Sargent recently turned a Muslim story about Mohammad and Khadija from the 3rd-4th grade

curriculum, Windows and Mirrors, into a skit for the children to act out. It is so much more fun to do a

play, than to just hear a story. We have been bringing more dramatic play into Faith Formation and

on March 24 the entire congregation will get to participate in a worship service done as a play, The

Purim Play.

When I was previously Director of Religious Education at All Souls, thirteen years ago, Suzanne Win-

grove-Haugland wrote a Purim Play script for us that was spectacular. If you were here at that time,

you may even remember the enormous Carolyn puppet that functioned as Queen Vashti in the sto-

ry, who was banished by King Ahasuerus for being disobedient. We appreciated her as the first

strong woman in the story, although that may not have been the traditional biblical perspective. In

telling these stories in our Unitarian Universalist congregation, we get to reinterpret messages and

give our own perspective on the meaning of the story.

The heart of the Purim story is Queen Esther’s difficult decision to risk her own life and reveal her hid-

den Jewish identity to save her people. She is one of the female biblical heroines in a holy book

filled with mostly male central figures. The story asks us to reflect on identity, courage, oppression,

suffering, and redemption. This is all done in a really fun enactment of the story. I will be offering a

reflection interspersed through the play.

Purim traditions are about joyous celebrations that include humorous skits and plays that often poke

fun at the political establishment. During the play, the audience cheers and boos specific charac-

ters and sometimes groggers are used as noisemakers. It is also tradition to eat special pastries in

the triangular shape of the evil henchman Haman’s hat, called hamantaschen, and we will have

those for Coffee Hour.

The greatest part of this celebration service is being together and having all ages take part in the

festivities, from the little ones to our elders. Please reach out to me if you would like a part in the play

or to help behind the scenes. We will honor this Jewish holiday with a Unitarian Universalist sensibility.

March Calendar:

March 1: Faith Friday. You are invited to our first Faith Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. We will have dinner, worship

music and faith formation programming for all ages. RSVP to faithformation@allsouls.net.

March 3: Youth Group Field Trip to the Prudence Crandall Museum. Departing 11:15; returning at 2 PM.

March 24: Purim Play/Multi-generational service, 10 AM. Purim is a community celebration that includes the

reading of the Book of Esther, done in the form of a play. If interested in playing a role or working behind the

scenes, email Perry at dirfaithformation@allsouls.net

To the youth who participated in the Feb. 17 Story for All Ages.

To our music volunteers, Joyce Werden, Katie Ryan and Becky Noreen, who prepared the children

for their performance on Music Sunday, and to the women of the choir who sang with them.

To Linda Sargent for converting a story into a play for our 3rd-4th grade class and creating the mo-

tions for the Feb. 17 story.

5

Faith Friday

March 1 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Pasta Dinner served at 5:30 p.m

Worship for all ages 6:15 p.m. With musical guests The Stringed

Cheese Trio!

Faith Formation Program at 6:45 p.m. For parents, children, and

adults without children

RVSP to faithformation@allsouls.net

Purim Play

March 24 at 10 a.m.

This multigenerational worship service will be a community celebra-

tion of this Jewish holiday. that celebrates Esther’s bravery, Mor-

dechai’s wisdom and boos the evil Haman.

Many roles, large and small, both in the play and behind the scenes,

so contact Perry at dirfaithformation@allsouls.net to participate.

Family Meeting

March 24 at 11:30 a.m.

Join us after the Purim Play to discuss multigen worship experiences

and how other areas of congregational life meet the needs of fami-

lies in our congregation. We want to check in with you and hear your

voices. Childcare will be available, and youth are also welcome to

participate in the conversation.

Gathering for Those with Special Needs

Does someone close to you struggle with a special need that pre-

vents them from attending services or other activities at All Souls? We

are considering hosting a gathering specifically for those with opposi-

tional defiant disorder or other special needs that make attendance

challenging.

Please contact Perry at dirfaithformation@allsouls.net for more infor-

mation.

Faith Formation Happenings

6

Board of Trustees Notes

The Board of Trustees met on Thursday, February 21, 2019. Highlights of the meeting include:

1. A report from the Sanctuary Task Force, which is working with other local groups to support a local

woman who is seeking asylum, but is not in need of Sanctuary.

2. A report from the Stewardship|Capital Campaign Committee, with encouraging preliminary num-

bers.

3. A discussion of a possible intern for the next two fiscal years.

4. The date for the summer board retreat has been set for Saturday, July 27, 2019.

For complete minutes go to www.allsoulsnewlondon.org. Click on “About Us”, then “Board of Trustees and

Governance”.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be Thursday, March 21, 2019 at 5:30 p.m. in the Vail Library. All

meetings of the Board of Trustees are open to the congregation as observers, except in those cases when it

goes into executive session.

Andy Derr, Secretary at amderr01@gmail.com

Treasurers Report

The results for the first seven months of the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 show us with a positive NOI (Net Operating

Income) of $27,130. At this same time last year, our NOI was positive $58,825.

For the past three years, we have been using a calculation to project the direction we are heading for year

end. Last month, we projected a deficit of ($42,0001). This month, that projected deficit has shrunk to

($29,623).

Our lower NOI is largely due to the larger expenses we agreed to take on this year and is not surprising. We

continue to plan to bridge our budget gap with a $20,000 pull from savings. This indicates that we are still on

track for ending the year at approximately $10,000 over budget.

Please make every effort to meet your financial pledge commitments. We make long term plans based on

these promises and every bit is important.

This is deficit is largely due to two factors:

1. A budgeted $8,000 in unspecified fundraising that has not yet been planned.

2. Higher than expected costs with our utilities at 19 Jay Street.

Your assistance is needed to help close this gap! Please see Carolyn or any board member for information

on how you can assist with fundraising efforts.

Brad Mock, Treasurer at bradley_j_mock@hotmail.com or 860-705-2966

Support All Souls

Did you know that you can support All Souls when you shop at Amazon? It's an easy way to help that doesn't

cost YOU anything. Here's how:

1. Go to smile.amazon.com

2. Sign in to your existing account or create an account.

3. Select All Souls Unitarian Universalist Congregation. There is a dropdown menu that allows you to to select

an organization to support. All Souls is on the list.

4. Once you set this up, always access Amazon through the link above.

That's it! Amazon donates a percentage of your purchases to All Souls. Thank you!

7

Stewardship | Capital Campaign News

As I write this article, we have reached a critical

road sign on our path

to “We Are Building A

New Way.” The Stew-

ardship Committee

wishes to say thank you

to the ninety volunteers

who have helped us

arrive at this stage of

the capital campaign.

On Sunday, February

17, we officially kicked

off our capital campaign. Over 200 of you were

in attendance. For those of you who were una-

ble to be present, you missed an epic All Souls

event planned by Liz Spurr and

Sher Lofgren. The construction theme included

hard hats, neon yellow work vests, dump truck

table decorations, and work zone tape. There

was plentiful and delicious food, some catered

and some made by volunteers and a wonderful

dessert made by You Take the Cake with our

logo and slogan on the top. A special treat on

Music Sunday was an inspiring rendition of

“Building A New Way” with new lyrics about our

capital campaign written by Danny Spurr who

was accompanied by Paul Carolan and Miss

Joanna Spurr in a stirring performance.

By the time you read this article, you will have

received a call from one of our forty- two con-

gregants who volunteered and who were

trained to be visiting stewards. Perhaps you

have already had a conversation with the stew-

ard paired with your household and you have

given your financial commitment form to him or

her in an envelope given to you. The response

thus far is very exciting. To date, forty-five

households have pledged $573,308! Sunday,

March 31 is our deadline for completing all

stewardship visits and collecting all financial

commitment forms.

Heidi Toala has lent her artistic and technologi-

cal skills to the campaign by creating a large

visual that will help us track our progress week

by week. Look for it in the hallway on the way

to the sanctuary. A brick path leads to the ar-

chitect’s most recent rendering of our expan-

sion project. Each brick represents an All Souls’

household. There are 175. As financial commit-

ments come in, Rev. Carolyn will write the fami-

ly’s name on a brick. This will track our congre-

gational individual and collective commitment

to our project. To the left of the brick walkway,

you will see a tape measure meandering its way

to our new entrance. Yellow will be used to

track our financial progress – our goal is $1.4 mil-

lion.

On Music Sunday, Rev. Carolyn reminded us

that each gift, large or small, is joyfully received

as an expression of our connection to our faith

community and its mission. Each gift brings us

closer to building a space large enough to ac-

commodate all the activities that make it possi-

ble for us to fulfill our goals and aspirations. This

campaign really matters to the future of All

Souls, we, individually and collectively have a

responsibility to make this project a reality.

Henrietta Mountz

Attention All Souls

Do you have a good idea for fund-

raising events? Ways to connect to

the larger community while also

working to support All Souls’ mission?

If you want to be part of the brain-

storming mission to explore what we

might do please contact Laurel

Holmes.

Questions? Laurel Holmes at

laurelghr@yahoo.com or

Maggie Clouet at

maggieclouet@yahoo.com or

203-215-6227

8

Nominating and Leadership Development News

Do you want to take a leadership or committee role at All Souls, yet are afraid you do not know

enough about how it all works? Maybe you want to expand and improve a team or committee

you work with. Or do you want to learn about best practices that will help you serve our congrega-

tion better? The UUA New England Region provides plenty of trainings for your team, committee and its leaders. In Addi-

tion, the All Souls Nominating and Leadership Development Team has funds to help defray some, if not all, of

the costs! (Contact Janet Marolda, janetm1225@atlanticbb.net)

For training info to https://www.uua.org/new-england/workshops-webinars

Contact: Janet Marolda at janetm1225@atlanticbb.net or 860-614-6446 or any member of NLD.

Small Group Ministry

Small Group Ministry is a great way to connect with people at All Souls whether you are

new to the congregation or have been coming for some time. If you are new to All

Souls, you may wonder: “What is Small Group Ministry?” In brief, it is a group of about six

to ten people which is led by a trained facilitator from the congregation. The group may

explore a variety of topics which might range from the deeply spiritual to lighter every-

day topics. The bottom line is that It provides a way to connect with others who wish to

explore their values and ideas in a small group setting. As we deepen our connections

to each other we are better able to care for and support each other i.e., to ‘minister’ to

each other.

The Spring session of Small Group Ministry will be starting soon. Sign-ups for the groups will

start at the end of March/beginning of April and the groups will begin shortly after that.

Each group will meet about six times. Look for the sign-up table in the hallway before

and after Sunday services in late March/early April. Exact dates and times for the groups

will be available during the sign-up process.

In addition to the regular Spring and Fall sessions, additional formats for Small Group Min-

istry are being implemented such as one-time groups (i.e., on Christmas after the service,

special topics, etc.)

So, if you want to connect with others in a deep and meaningful way, Small Group Minis-

try can be an opportunity to do just that! For more information, feel free to contact any

of the Small Group Ministry Team listed below.

Questions? Susanne Colten-Carey at ssc-c@comcast.net or. 860-434-9999

Kathy Fleissner kathyandbetty@comcast.net or 860-381-5551

Carol Irwin irbaldery@sbcglobal.net or 860-889-6594

9

Good Neighbor Offering

In honor of Black History Month and in celebra-

tion of our predecessors' work for justice, equal-

ity and freedom, we lift up the next generation

of local leaders by contributing to the Martin

Luther King Scholarship Fund and the Hispanic

Alliance's Scholarship Fund. These two funds

recognize, celebrate and support outstanding

young people who are making the road to a

better tomorrow by walking it and inviting us all

along!

Thank you!

February’s GNO raised $665.00 for Safe Futures.

Questions? Karen Gonzalez-Rice at

karen.gonzalez.rice@gmail.com or

919-699-5954

Opportunity for Service:

Community Meal

As always, we continue our ministry to feed our

neighbors at the New London Community Meal

Center on Montauk Avenue in New London for

three meals in March. Youth 14 and older are wel-

come. If you want to be invited to sign up with a

Doodle invitation, please send an email to

meals@allsouls.net so you can be put on the list.

Your help is needed! Please consider signing up to

work one of the following shifts:

Wednesday, March 13

Serve food from 4:00 to 6:00 pm

Saturday, March 16

Prepare the food from 9 to 11:30 a.m.

Serve and clean up from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 30

The fifth Saturday meal especially needs help!

We will also be serving the meal on the 5th Saturday,

on March 30. Some of our “regulars” will be away in

March.

We need people to perform the following tasks:

Task 1: On Friday, March 29, purchase the food for

The meal from BJs and deliver it to the Com-

munity Meal Center. This task is covered.

Task 2: On Saturday, March 30, pick up the baked

goods donated by BJs, before 9a.m. This will

require calling the BJs receiving dock on the

Wednesday before to let them know you are

coming on Saturday.

Task 3: On Saturday, March 30

Prepare the food from 9 to 11:30 a.m. We

need five to six people.

Task 4: On Saturday, March 30

Serve and clean up from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m.

We need five to six people.

CIRCLE SUPPERS

Save the Date- Saturday, March 9, 2019

Our next Circle Supper is scheduled for Satur-

day 3/9/2019...Please mark your calendars!

The deadline for sign-ups is Wednesday, Febru-

ary 27.

Circle Suppers are a gathering of souls to share

a meal at the home of a host congregant.

Hosts provide a venue, guests provide the

food, and all provide a evening of good con-

versation and lots of fun. It's a great way to get

to know other congregants in an informal set-

ting.

We make considerations for those needing

rides, diet restrictions, or pet allergies. Also, we

do not expect that everyone can reciprocate

by hosting so don't let that stop you from par-

ticipating.

Questions? Moira Herbert at

moiraj77@gmail.com or 860-608-8697.

Tag Sale

SAVE THE DATES!!!

Tag and Plant Sale Prep and Sale

May 26 to June 1

Fun surprises this year!

Questions? Tracey Dubee at 860-917-9131 or

traceydrose57@yahoo.com

10

A Message from Hospitality

Greetings from the Kitchen Crew

We welcome Hope Stevens as our new Schedule Coordinator. Huge thanks to Katrina Bercaw for doing a

fabulous job in this position for 10 years!!!!

Janet Marolda will continue on as Kitchen Coordinator (AKA elf) which includes keeping the kitchen

stocked and organized.

We are in need of gently used tablecloths and dish towels. If you have any to share please leave them in

the kitchen anytime that is convenient!

We continuously accumulate left behind items that we are sure are still wanted! Some will be displayed on

the lower shelf of the red used coffee cup cart during coffee hour in hopes of reminding souls of their miss-

ing treasures. There are more on a shelf next to stove in kitchen. If you cannot locate your missing item

please let Janet know and she will help look!!

Thanks again to all our volunteers - you make such a difference in our radical hospitality!

Questions? Janet Marolda at janetm1225@atlanticbb.net or 860-614-6446

Green Sanctuary

March 12

7 p.m.

Come join us on March 12 at 7 p.m. as we move forward in this process, and reserve the second Tuesday

of each month from 7-8 p.m. to be a part of our recommitment as a congregation to Green Sanctu-

ary. We as a congregation need to apply green sanctuary themes to our new building expansion and

become a continuing green sanctuary congregation.

The March meeting will be a Zoom session with members of the Hartford congregation that were able to

install solar panels for a fraction of the expected cost using grants and rebates.

More members are needed to work in the areas of worship and celebration, religious education, envi-

ronmental justice, sustainable living, and independent projects (for those of you independent UU’S that

don’t like to be limited by titles!)

Questions? Jonathan Harger at 860-739-4224 or hejeharger@atlanticbb.net.

Music Coordination Team

The music coordination team has been busy welcoming new singers to the choir this year. We

are seeing twenty-four to thirty choir members (ages 17 to 86) at rehearsals and Sundays. Shall

we try for three dozen? If you love singing, please consider joining us for rehearsals Wednesday

nights from 6:15 to 8 p.m. Our Choir Director Tonya is a great teacher and she makes learning

fun.

Music Sunday was a success, and the choir sang three anthems, and combined with the chil-

dren’s’ choir to sing a fourth. We are pleased to be performing 4 more beautiful Gift of Song an-

thems this spring. See you there!

Questions? Platt Arnold at platt_arnold@yahoo.com or 860-691-1125

11

GET CONNECTED!

Elderjourney Tuesday, March 12 at Noon

Join the group of All Souls members and friends 65 and older for lunch and fellowship. Bag a lunch

and join us at noon every second Tuesday of the month. Dessert and program provided by monthly

volunteers!

Questions? Tammy Barber, Office Administrator at office@allsouls.net or 860-443-0316

Book Club Monday, March 18 at 1p.m. This month the book club will discuss, The All-Girl Filling Station by Fanny Flagg.

All congregants are welcome.

Questions? Mary Rioux at 860-271-1037 or Pat Abraham at 860-434-5758

Meditation Every Tuesday 7:15 a.m. and Wednesday 5:30 p.m.

The meditation group meets twice a week, every Tuesday at 7:15 a.m. and every Wednesday at

5:30 p.m.

Everyone is most welcome! Basic guidelines are offered to all newcomers and guided meditation is

offered during some of the sessions. No experience necessary.

Each session includes 30 minutes of silent sitting meditation, 10 minutes of walking meditation, and

15 minutes of dharma sharing, in which folks, if they choose, may share their meditation

experiences.

Attendance is free but donations are gratefully accepted.

Questions? Pamala Lewis at pamalalewis@comcast.net or Jean Jerbert at

j.jerbert@yahoo.com, or Sean Kane at sean.kean@conncoll.edu or 860-442-6152

Craft Circle Every Wednesday 7 p.m.

Craft Circle meets every Wednesday, 7- 8:30 p.m. Do you knit, crochet, quilt, cross stitch, scrapbook,

_______? (fill in the blank.) Bring your current projects to work on as we have a social gathering. We

may have someone with the know-how if you are seeking a new craft or have questions for a cur-

rent project.

[Please refrain from wearing scent. Some of us are highly sensitive/allergic.]

Questions? Carol Bunting at 860-460-3373 or cbeema@sbcglobal.net

Flavours of Life Supports Fair Trade - and All Souls!

Do you love shopping at Flavours of Life knowing that you are supporting fair trade practices? Now you will

love it even more! Next time you're at the shop, let the salesperson know that you are part of All Souls and Fla-

vours of Life will donate 10% of your purchase to All Souls.

Have never been there? Check it out!

We thank Ellen Cummings, All Souls member and the owner of Flavours of Life, for her generous support.

Flavours of Life

86 Bank Street

New London, CT 06320

12

CONSIDERING MEMBERSHIP WORKSHOP

Saturday, April 6 - 9:00 am to 1:30 pm

Becoming a Unitarian Universalist is an ongoing process. Where are you in this process? Have you been

coming to All Souls for six months, a year, or longer? Have you been attending worship services? Maybe

you have a child in Faith Formation. Are you making connections with others in small groups or activities?

Has your growing commitment to Unitarian Universalist values called you to participate in social justice

events such as public witness?

Maybe you are now thinking about deepening your commitment and connection to All Souls. Perhaps

you would like to be able to be a part of our democratic process and vote on issues that come before the

congregation. Would you like to know more about what it means to be a member of All Souls? The

"Considering Membership" workshop is for you.

During this Saturday workshop, you will spend time with Reverend Carolyn Patierno and Perry Montrose,

Director of Lifespan Faith Formation. You will meet others who have been attending All Souls for a while

and are now thinking about the next step.

Participants share their faith journeys, learn more about our UU tradition and what covenant and member-

ship at All Souls mean. Belonging to a congregation is a journey of deepening connection and growth.

This one session class is planned for Saturday, April 6 from 9:00 am to 1:30 p.m. Lunch and childcare provid-

ed. (Please let Lynn Tavormina know if childcare is needed.) Attending this workshop does not obligate

you to become a member of All Souls, but may help inform your decision. .

We will welcome new members on New Member Sunday, May 19.

Signups are happening now.

Look for the signup sheet on the Welcome Table

And some final thoughts, adapted from the UUA pamphlet “Journey to Belonging”:

“Belonging to a congregation is a journey of deepening connection and growth. The journey may be

only for a year or for decades. It may progress into membership. (And) membership …. is really an evolv-

ing relationship, growing richer over time as we learn more about ourselves and how our Principles call us

to live. It starts when we visit a website or go to an event, and gets stronger as we attend worship regular-

ly,… participate in a small group ministry circle, sign the membership book, teach in religious education,

participate in a Facebook event, take on leadership roles, etc. It does not stop when we become a mem-

ber but rather continues to the highest levels of dedication and leadership. Being in community is a give-

and-take. We look forward to the gifts you have to share and hope you will find value in what we bring to

this community.”

Questions? Lynn Tavormina at bltavo@atlanticbb.net . I look forward to talking with you about member-

ship at All Souls!

13

UUA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Spokane, Washington

June 19-23, 2019

General Assembly is the annual meeting of our Unitarian Universalist Association. Attendees worship, witness,

learn, connect, and make policy for the Association through democratic process. Anyone may attend; congre-

gations must certify annually to send voting delegates. The 2019 General Assembly will be June 19-23 in Spo-

kane, Washington. Most General Assembly events will be held in the Spokane Convention Center.

The Power of We

What do we want Unitarian Universalism to be? It is a time when we are asking big questions in our faith, and GA

2019 will be focused on digging into those questions together. It is a critical chance for congregational leaders

and passionate UUs to set new goals and aspirations for our religious community. Help begin to reshape our As-

sociation and our congregations in new and powerful ways.

This year’s theme is about collective power, “The Power of We,” as well as the possibility, the purpose, the strug-

gle and the joy of what it means to be together in faithful community. In the past two years, Unitarian Universal-

ism has recommitted to the work of liberation inside and outside our faith community. The antidote to a time of

dangerous dehumanization is a love that connects us to our deeper humanity. Come to Spokane to experience

what our shared faith can become when we embrace the Power of We.

Registration and Housing Open March 1

GA Registration and the GA Housing Reservation System open at 9 a.m. PST at www.uua.org/ga

Spokane

The Spokane region is the gateway for adventure and exploration in the Intermountain Northwest. Located driv-

ing distance from Glacier National Park and Yellowstone, Spokane is nestled in natural beauty.

Spokane is located on interstate I-90, 110 miles from the Canadian border and 18 miles from Idaho. It is the larg-

est city between Seattle and Minneapolis.

Spokane International Airport (GEG) is serviced by Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, and United Air-

lines. Nonstop service is offered to 17 destinations, including Minneapolis, Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, and LAX.

Spokane is accessible by rail via Amtrak’s Empire Builder route (Chicago - St. Paul/Minneapolis - Spokane - Port-

land/Seattle). It is also reachable by Greyhound Bus.

Excellent Programming

GA will offer more than 100 programming selections over the course of five days. This year, in addition to Theme-

Based Programming, the schedule will feature Role-Based Track Programming, including time for discussion

among attendees, sharing inspiring models and stories, and concrete suggestions for how to further the work or

"take it home." More programming details are available at www.uua.org/ga.

Financial Aid Available

The UUA is committed to the goal of making GA accessible to as many attendees as possible. Go to uua.org/ga

in the month of March to learn about scholarships to support delegates - particularly those from marginalized

groups - and volunteer opportunities (work in exchange for registration).

All Souls typically needs people willing to serve as delegates to General Assembly. This can be either in person or

off-site. If you are planning to attend and are interested in representing All Souls as a delegate please let us

know at denominational-affairs@allsouls.net and we will provide more details.

14

Presents

Tom Chapin

March 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Tom Chapin is one of the great personalities in

contemporary folk music

-New York Times

Tom Chapin, who has established a reputation for heartfelt songcraft and charismatic performances, comes

to New London’s Friday Night Folk on March 15. Folk troubadour, singer-songwriter, storyteller and multi-

instrumentalist, Chapin is a strong voice and positive presence in a precarious world.

Chapin’s witty, life-affirming songs are delivered in a sophisticated array of musical styles. In a career that

spans five decades, 23 albums and three GRAMMY® awards, Chapin has covered a great deal of creative

ground. In addition to being a recording artist and concert performer, Chapin has acted on Broadway and

worked extensively in film, television, and radio. He was born to talent and has deep roots. He is the son of jazz

drummer Jim Chapin, brother of Harry Chapin, and grandson of author Kenneth Burke. He began performing

in the 1960s, playing in Greenwich Village folk clubs with his siblings Harry and Steve as The Chapin Brothers.

In addition to his varied musical endeavors, Chapin is a powerful advocate on behalf of charitable causes like

WhyHunger, the organization founded by his older brother, the late Harry Chapin. He is active in environmen-

tal causes and on behalf of music and the arts in our public schools.

“I’m at that place in my life where I follow what interests me,” says Chapin. “I still love the guitar, I still love to

sing, and I still love the thrill of creation. I feel blessed to be my own boss, creating my own material and per-

forming it to different audiences, ages and generations.”

The Tom Chapin concert begins at 7:30 in Unity Hall at All Souls at 19 Jay Street in New London. Tickets are

available at fridaynightfolk.org and through EventBrite.

Coming next at Friday Night Folk at All Souls: The Kennedys -- Pete and Maura -- on April 12, and Nancy Parent

on May 10 for a Mother’s Day tribute concert.

Reporters and Photographers welcome.

Press contacts: Nick Evento (860) 447-9580 or fnfolk@gmail.com

Performer contact: Sundance Music (914) 674-0247 info@tomchapin.com

http://www.tomchapin.com/

The mission of Friday Night Folk at All Souls is to joyfully support social and environmental justice by bringing live

traditional, contemporary and multicultural folk music to the larger community in a welcoming and accessible

performance space.

15

March 2019

Updates at: www.allsoulsnewlondon.org

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

2/27/2019

5:30 PM *Meditation *Stwshp Cap Camp 6:30 PM *Choir Practice 7:00 PM *Craft Circle

2/28/2019

6:00 PM *G.R.A.C.E. * Parim Planning

3/1/2019

5:30 PM *Faith Friday 7:00 PM *Alanon

3/2/2019

9:30 AM *InterPLAY

3/3/2019

9:30 AM *RE Classes *Worship 11:15 AM *Worship *Youth Group 4:00 PM *Fresh New London

3/4/2019

3/5/2019

7:15 AM *Meditation 7:00 PM *NL LGBTQ AA

3/6/2019

12:00 PM *Staff Meeting 5:30 PM *Meditation *Worship Art Team *Stwshp Cap Camp 6:30 PM *Choir Practice 7:00 PM *Craft Circle

3/7/2019

3/8/2019

7:00 PM *Alanon

3/9/2019

10:15 AM *Addiction Ministry Group 4:00 PM *Family Circle Sup-per 6:00 PM *Circle Supper

3/10/2019

9:30 AM *RE Classes *Worship 11:15 AM *Worship *Youth Group 12:30 PM *SMG Facilita 3:00 PM *Eastern CT Gardeners Assoc.

3/11/2019

7:00 PM *Facilities

3/12/2019

7:15 AM *Meditation 12:00 PM *Elderjourney 5:30 PM *Executive Commit-tee Meeting 7:00 PM *NL LGBTQ AA *Green Sanctuary

3/13/2019

2:00 PM *Pastoral Visitor Team Meeting 4:00 PM *Community Meal 5:30 PM *Meditation *Stwship Cap Camp 6:30 PM *Choir Practice 7:00 PM *Craft Circle

3/14/2019

5:30 PM *Finance Meeting

3/15/2019

7:00 PM *Alanon 7:30 PM *Friday Night Folk

3/16/2019

9:00 AM *Facilities Work Party *Community Meal New London

3/17/2019

9:30 AM *RE Classes *Worship 11:15 AM *Worship *Youth Group

3/18/2019

1:00 PM *Book Club

3/19/2019

7:15 AM *Meditation 7:00 PM *NL LGBTQ AA

3/20/2019

4:00 PM *Caring Team 5:30 PM *Meditation *Stwshp Cap Camp 6:30 PM *Choir Practice 7:00 PM *Craft Circle

3/21/2019

5:30 PM *Board Meeting

3/22/2019

7:00 PM *Alanon

3/23/2019

3/24/2019

10:00 AM *Worship 11:30 AM *Faith For-mation/Family Meeting

3/25/2019

3/26/2019

7:15 AM *Meditation 7:00 PM *NL LGBTQ AA

3/27/2019

5:30 PM *Meditation *Stwshp/Cap Camp 6:30 PM *Choir Practice 7:00 PM *Craft Circle

3/28/2019

6:00 PM *G.R.A.C.E.

3/29/2019

7:00 PM *Alanon

3/30/2019

9:00 AM *Fifth Saturday Community Meal, NL

3/31/2019

9:30 AM *RE Classes *Worship 11:15 AM *Worship *Youth Group

4/1/2019

4/2/2019

7:15 AM *Meditation 7:00 PM *NL LGBTQ AA

4/3/2019

12:00 PM *Staff Meeting 5:30 PM *Meditation *Worship Art Team *Stwshp Cap Camp 6:30 PM *Choir Practice 7:00 PM *Craft Circle

4/4/2019

4/5/2019

7:00 PM *Alanon

4/6/2019

8:45 AM *Considering Mem-bership Workshop 10:15 AM *Addiction Ministry Group