April, 2013

Planning Ahead - June, 2013

Here are the programs and activities scheduled for May 2013.

Check back occasionally for Updates!

Room Location Notes:
Hall of Worship, Assembly Hall, Conference Room and Chapel – 40 E 35^th Street (Church Bldg)
Gallery, Front and Rear Lounges, 3^rd Floor Classroom – 28 E 35^th Street – Look for Red Door/ring buzzer

Secular Humanist Society of NY Book Club – Thursday, May 2, 6:30-8:30 pm, Front Lounge

May: The Social Conquest of Earth  by Edward O. Wilson

Anti-Racism Team/Film – Friday, May 3, 6:30 pm, Gallery

Films to be announced

First Saturday Feeding of the Hungry in the Bowery - Saturday, May 4, 10:45 am-12 pm

We invite you to help the Sai Baba Group feed the hungry on the First Saturday of each month. We meet on Forsyth, just south of Houston at 10:45 am. Please bring vegetarian food to share with the over 100 people who come. This is an outdoor event so dress for the weather. For more information contact Valerie Lynch at vlynch@ccny.org or 212-683-4988.

Gallery35  Art Showcase 2013 – Emerging Visions
Opening Reception – Saturday, May 4, 5-8 pm, Open House – Saturday, May 11, 5-7 pm

All Member Show – Gallery35 artists will be exhibiting their best representative work.  Enter at 30 E 35^th St Door.  Flyer

Action for Justice Sunday - May 5 - 11 am Worship and 1 pm Conversation/Q&A

Forgive Us Our Debts - Rev. Michael Ellick is Minister of Judson Memorial Church, and one of the founders of Occupy Faith in New York City. In his ministry, he has worked as an organizer and a social justice advocate for Immigrant Rights, Marriage Equality, Single Payer Health Care, Economic & Environmental Justice, and Racial Profiling.  Rev. Ellick is particularly interested in understanding the Christian Passion Story in an America threatened by falling Empire and failing Plutocracy.  Flyer

Buildings & Grounds – Monday, May 6, 6 pm, Conference Room

World Religions – Tuesday, May 7, 6:30 – 8 pm – Conference Room

This series will present a basic picture of each of nine World Religions, using video and other imaging, text, commentary, and sometimes art and music. May: Shinto

Church Council - Wednesday, May 8 – 6 pm-Potluck / 6:30 pm Meeting

Reiki and Meditation – Thursday, May 9 (and 23), 7 pm, Chapel

Come join us for an evening discovering how to enhance your life with Reiki and Meditation.  Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit by balancing the life force energy that come from within. Learn how Reiki can be a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use.

2013 Church Services Auction goes Edwardian - Saturday, May 11, 6 pm

Join us at 6pm on Saturday May 11 for the social highlight of the season: a Downton Abbey themed evening of fundraising fun, with auctioneer Jonathan Birchall using his svelte English accent to maximum effect to persuade everyone to bid like crazy on services offered by members of community. Contact Jonathan if you have a night at the opera, or window washing skills to offer! Tickets will be sold in advance, with a suggested donation of $20. Costumes and amusing hats are encouraged!  Fine food and drink will once again add to the fun. Bring a friend!  Email jonathanpbirchall@gmail.com to get involved or to offer a service for auction. (Check auction notice on the bulletin board (in corridor by Fellowship Hall) for more details and for pictures of auction pledges being redeemed.)

Community Circles – Sunday, May 12, 1 pm

Established group sessions – For information on joining the next circle group contact Laura Breach laurabreach@gmail.com, Ruth Miller council@ccny.org or Valerie Lynch, Membership Coordinator, at vlynch@ccny.org or 212-683-4988, ext. 19

Half the Sky - Community Women Presentation – Everyone Invited -Sunday, May 12, 1:15-3 pm, Assembly Hall

Community Women is hosting a special UU-UNO program featuring a film “Half The Sky” based on the book by Nicholas Kristov and Cheryl Wu Dun. After the film there will be small group discussions. Flyer

Resistance Cinema – Sunday, May 12, 1:15 pm, Gallery

The House I Live In - The war on drugs is by all measure a colossal failure, leaving a trail of corruption and a broken criminal justice system.  Spring Schedule

Finance Committee – Wednesday, May 15, 6 pm

Antiracistalliance.com Potluck – Friday, May 17, 6 pm

Esperanto Society of NY – Friday, May 17, 7 pm

Congregational Meeting - Budget Hearing – Sunday, May 19, 1 pm, Assembly Hall

Committee on Ministry – Monday, May 20, 5:30-7 pm, Conference Room

Buddhism as a Spiritual Practice - Tuesday, May 21, 6:30 pm, Chapel

This series of nine sessions began with a non-traditional presentation of the core ideas of the tradition and continues to explore different schools of Buddhist thought and practice, using some video, chanting and various types of meditation as well as particular texts. While these sessions are not tied together exactly, the experience will be much richer if you attend all.  Led by Rev. Orlanda Brugnola. 

Social Tea – Tuesday, May 21, 2-3:30 pm, Assembly Hall – Note Change in Schedule

Guest speaker is poet Mara Levine – Water the Roots. RSVP to Esther Rosado erosado@ccny.org or 212-683-4988, ext 23.
Flyer

UU Christian Fellowship - Tuesday, May 21, 7:30 pm, Front Lounge

MNY-UUCF, a local chapter of the national UU Christian Fellowship (UUFC), is led by the Rev. Kelly Murphy Mason, a UU community minister and former Vice-President of the UUCF. The chapter meets the third Tuesday of every month at Community for fellowship and discussion, religious education, and spiritual deepening. All UUs in the District are invited to participate. The theme this year is Seeking the Soul of the Gospels.  Flyer

Resistance Cinema – Sunday, May 26, 1:15 pm, Gallery
“GRANITO; How To Nail A Dictator”- An international team builds the legal case against ex- President Rios Montt currently on trial for crimes against humanity in Guatemala.     Spring Schedule

Introduction to Humanism 101 – May Date to be Announced -, 6:30-8:30 pm, Gallery 

A study group facilitated by John Rafferty of the Secular Humanist Society of New York.  See below (soon) for the assigned reading but if you haven’t completed the reading, you may still come and audit the discussion – all are welcome!  Click for details.

Church Board of Trustees Meeting – Wednesday, May 22, 6 pm

Reiki and Meditation – Thursday, May 23, 7 pm, Chapel

Come join us for an evening discovering how to enhance your life with Reiki and Meditation.  Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit by balancing the life force energy that come from within. Learn how Reiki can be a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use.

Green Sanctuary Future Visions – Friday, May 24, 7 pm, Gallery

Green Sanctuary Future Visions Film Series – Friday, May 24, 7 pm, Gallery

"Heist: Who Stole the American Dream?"- Now more than ever, politics in the USA has become the playground of the rich and powerful, with little thought given to the real needs of ordinary Americans. Moving beyond the white noise of today’s polarizing media, HEIST delves deeply into the greatest wealth transfer of our time, providing viewers with concise, fact-based explanations of how we got into this mess and what we need to do to restore our representative democracy.  View Trailer

Gallery35 – Art Showcase 2013 – Emerging Visions – Open House – Saturday, May 25, 2013, 5-7 pm

 All Member Show – Gallery35 artists will be exhibiting their best representative work.  Enter at 30 E 35^th St Door.  Flyer

Sipping and Searching – Wednesday, May 29, 6:30-8 pm

Rev. Dr. Anthony Johnson will facilitate this popular discussion group. Join us for pizza, soft drinks, beer and great conversation.
May Topic:  Memory and Patriotism -- Are They Compatible? The World War II generation had heroic memories of war that encouraged patriotism. The Vietnam War generation had shameful memories that discouraged patriotism. And the current younger adult generation?

First Saturday Feeding of the Hungry in the Bowery - Saturday, June 1, 10:45 am-12 pm

We invite you to help the Sai Baba Group feed the hungry on the First Saturday of each month. We meet on Forsyth, just south of Houston at 10:45 am. Please bring vegetarian food to share with the over 100 people who come. This is an outdoor event so dress for the weather. For more information contact Valerie Lynch at vlynch@ccny.org or 212-683-4988.

Office Volunteers
Community Church needs you!  Do you have a few hours to spare during the week?  We are looking for several office volunteers.  This is a wonderful way to help your Congregation reach its financial goals and be a welcoming presence in the church.  If you are comfortable answering phones and doing other light office work, please call Bob Martin, Business Administrator at 212-683-4988 ext. 20 or rmartin@ccny.org.

BJ's Place, our men's shelter, needs additional volunteers to serve as overnight hosts.  Even if you can only offer a night or two, please contact George Garland at gagarland@gmail.com for more information. Thank you!

Greeting and Hospitality Volunteers
We are looking for volunteers to help greet at worship services and serve after-service refreshments.  Please see Valerie Lynch, Membership Coordinator, during Fellowship Hour or call 212-983-4988, ext. 19.

First Saturdays at the Bowery
Community members and friends are invited to help at the Sai Baba’s feeding of the hungry in the Bowery on first Saturdays of each month at 10:45 am, on Forsyth just south of Houston.  Children are welcome to come help too!  Bring a vegetarian item (such as chips, veggies, juice, pasta casserole or PBJ sandwiches). Pre-packing snacks or sandwiches in small plastic bags is very helpful and makes it easier to distribute to the over 200 people who come for this meal. This is a rain or shine event so dress for the weather.  RSVP to Valerie Lynch at vlynch@ccny.org or 212-683-4988, ext. 19.

 

The Volunteer Choir provides music for several of the Sunday Worship Services. The Messiah Choiir performs the Christmas Portion of Handel's Messiah on Christmas Eve. New people are always welcome. Contact Jerry Brown, Director of Music - jbrown@ccny.org or 212-683-4988, for more information.