Revision of our anti-war resolution
January 27, 2009
The resolution, which was approved on Jan. 12, 2003, is as follows: “As Unitarian Universalists, we hold to the goal of a world community with peace, liberty and justice for all. Therefore, we call on our national leaders to use creative, peaceful means to resolve conflict with Iraq, to stand with other nations in the international community who are working for the elimination of weapons of mass destruction, to support the international promotion of human rights and to cease advocating preemptive war. We support the members of our congregation who are taking public stands for peace and encourage them to witness for our religious community”
Help our committee wrestle with the following questions: Should Bell Street change this resolution so it is more relevant to today’s world? If so, what changes should be made? Can a revised resolution guide the actions of church members? Where should we carry the Bell Street Chapel banner? If a revision is agreed to, it will be presented to the congregation at its meeting in January.
~Joanne DeVoe,
Parish and Social Concerns Committee
Attention: newsletter mailing list purge coming
January 27, 2009
Beginning next month, in an effort to save resources, Bell Street Chapel will stop mailing Bell Street Columns to friends and acquaintances (as opposed to members) of the church unless you request otherwise.
If you’re a friend of Bell Street and want to continue to receiving the newsletter, either by e-mail or snail mail, let us know. Please e-mail Membership Chairman Richard Corso at richardcorso@gmail.com.
If you opt not to subscribe, we hope that you’ll check our the newsletter (and other events, etc) on our Web site (www.bellstreetchapel.org) or consider becoming one of our “fans” on Facebook.
~Jennifer Shimkus, Membership Committee
Newsletter deadline
January 27, 2009
The deadline for the March edition of Bell Street Columns is Sunday, Feb. 15, at 8 p.m. Since February is such a short month, it’s going to seem to pop up early. Please be ready! No submissions will be accepted after the deadline. Please e-mail your submissions as a Word attachment to Meredyth Waterman at MeredythW@aol.com. Thanks!
~Meredyth Waterman
Columns Editor
Adult Religious Education Opportunities
January 27, 2009
Each week we come together as a congregation for worship to explore religious and spiritual issues and to grow as individuals and as a community. Many members have asked about the possibility of forming small groups in order to deepen in spirit, nurture our souls and contribute to and shape the wider world for the greater good. The Unitarian Universalist Association has numerous resources available for adult religious education groups. These groups can focus on individual spiritual growth, theological questions, social justice issues or world religions. Some of the programs available include:
· Barbara Hamilton-Holway’s Spirit of Life program seeks to bring meaning, beauty, inclusivity and growth to Unitarian Universalist adults as they deepen their spiritual awareness and connections.
· Spirit in Practice was created to help Unitarian Universalists develop regular disciplines, or practices, of the spirit – practices that help them connect with the sacred ground of their being, however they understand it. Spirit in Practice affirms religious diversity while seeking unity in our communal quest for meaning and wholeness.
· Building Your Own Theology. This curriculum invites each person to write his or her spiritual odyssey and examines a structure for a liberal theological model, varieties of religious experience, human nature, ultimate reality, history, ethics and religious meaning.
· Owning Your Religious Past provides simple tools with which individuals may re-examine and retrieve positive aspects of their past religious experience as part of our continuing religious growth.
· Paganism 101 is an informative and participatory introduction to the contemporary Neo-Pagan movement.
Numerous other programs are available as well. There will be a display of various available programs in Eddy Hall during the first few weeks of February. If you are interested in a particular program, you can sign the interest sheet available with the program description. Signing up is not a commitment to participate at this time, but it will help us to gauge interest and decide which programs to offer.
We will also need group facilitators. If you are willing to consider being a facilitator, you can note that on the interest sheet. The programs all include instructions for facilitators, and we can schedule a facilitator training if there is interest.
Exploring religious truth, meaning and experience is central to our Unitarian Universalist faith. Adult religious education groups give us the opportunity to seek truth and meaning in a safe atmosphere.
~Don Laliberte, President
Moving day and painting
January 27, 2009
Our process of rearranging offices in the Parish House will finally be moving forward on Feb. 1, when we will be moving everything out of the back, left office on the first floor and moving José’s office into it. We will also have a few other things to move there. We will need a number of hands with this project, so if you are able-bodied and can give an hour or so to help after coffee hour, we’d really appreciate it.
Also, we plan to start painting parts of the chapel in later winter or early spring, likely in the late mornings into afternoons on Saturdays. This is another project that will need volunteers, preferably detail-oriented ones. If you enjoy painting, please contact Meredyth Waterman at MeredythW@aol.com to sign up.
~Meredyth Waterman
Movie Night
January 27, 2009
Feb. 13
6:30 p.m.
Eddy Hall
In an effort to live out our commitment as a Unitarian Universalist Association Welcoming Congregation, Bell Street Chapel sponsors a monthly movie night featuring films that examine gender identity issues. Over the past several years, we have seen dramas and documentaries, comedies and heart breakers – all acclaimed and artistically significant films. Thanks go to Genevieve Peri, who seems to have an endless number of ideas for films in this category.
In February, we will recognize Black History Month with a documentary film that is a thoughtful exploration of race as well as gender. Our licensing agreement does not allow us to identify the film by name in public communications, but anyone who wants to know more may contact Carol Crowley at ccrowley8@cox.net.
As always, we will share a potluck dinner before the showing of the movie and follow it with a short discussion led by Genevieve Peri. So do join us on Friday, Feb. 13, at 6:30 p.m. in Eddy Hall. Bring a nonalcoholic beverage or some food to share – and bring your friends to Bell Street Chapel’s Movie Night!
Being a Member of Bell Street Chapel
January 27, 2009
At our last meeting, the Membership and Caring Committee decided to write a series of newsletter articles about what it means to each of us to be a member of Bell Street Chapel. I am happy to be writing the first one.
As many of you know, Don and I had our second date at Bell Street. He brought me here for a performance of the Rhode Island Feminist Chorus and had me selling soda at intermission while he convinced a member to assume the chair of the Religious Education Committee. While this may not seem like an ideal second date to some, it was perfect to me for two reasons. First, Don was willing to share with me something so valuable to him, Bell Street Chapel, and second, Bell Street Chapel was truly an amazing place!
Shortly before Don and I had met, Don emceed Bell Street Chapel’s talent/no talent show. He spoke with enthusiasm about this and told me all the things Bell Street was involved in; feeding the hungry, speaking out about child and sweatshop labor, and hosting groups such as the Feminist Chorus. As president of the congregation, he was clearly proud of the work they were doing. As I was unfamiliar with Unitarian Universalism, Bell Street Chapel sounded unbelievable. This was a group of people working together to achieve a better society AND nearly half of the members were gay or lesbian. This was a place I was eager to check out.
And so, a couple of days after we met, Don took me to Bell Street for our second date. I remember walking through the front doors and immediately feeling welcomed. But for me, it was more than that, it felt like coming home. Not only was it welcoming, but it was comfortable and felt familiar. I was anxious to learn more. As time progressed, and Don and I got to know each other better, I began to attend services on Sunday morning. Those initial feelings continued to resonate and strengthen.
Eventually I made the decision to become a member. Being a member of Bell Street has given me the opportunity to do things I never thought I would or could do. I have protested what I perceive as an unjust war, testified on behalf of the congregation in support of equal marriage rights, and led several services on Sunday morning. Thanks to my membership, I am a different person then I was when I first walked through the doors nine years ago and for that I am grateful.
~Richard Corso
Membership Committee Chairperson
From the Governing Board: Examining Our Mission and Vision Statements
January 27, 2009
As part of the process of growing the Bell Street community, both in terms of size and depth, it is increasingly important to be able to articulate who we are, what we stand for, how we are different (and similar) to other churches and what we hope to achieve in the future.
Mission and vision statement development are a critical part of planning and growth for any type of organization. Bell Street Chapel’s mission statement should describe where we are today, while our vision statement should describe what we want to be in the future. Mission and vision statements are both useful reminders of the “big picture” and can be used as benchmarks to assess new ideas and proposed programs to determine whether they are in line with long-term goals.
While we have a mission statement at Bell Street, we do not have a vision statement.
The Governing Board has recruited a Mission and Vision Workgroup to work on this project and given them the following charge:
To evaluate Bell Street Chapel’s existing mission statement to determine whether it properly defines the purpose of Bell Street Chapel today and to develop a vision statement that captures the congregation’s hopes for Bell Street Chapel in the next five to eight years.
In doing that work, the workgroup shall draw on previous research and evaluation conducted by chapel bodies including the most recent ministerial search committee, as well as new evaluation tools such as small group meetings, surveys and interviews with members, leaders, ministers or staff. The group will also take advantage of Unitarian Universalist Association and district resources, and create statements that reflect our association with Unitarian Universalism and its seven principles.
The workgroup will issue proposals for a vision statement and any changes to the mission statement it recommends to the congregation for discussion and approval by majority congregational vote. The workgroup is to issue a preliminary report to the congregation at the annual meeting in 2009 and present its proposals for the mission and vision statements at the midyear meeting in 2010.
Thank you to Kate Gillis, Dan Greco, Brian Kovacs, Ray Perreault and Phil Smith for volunteering to serve on the Mission and Vision Workgroup.
If you have any questions about this process or are interested in participating in this group, please contact
Don Laliberte (dlaliberte@gmail.com) or Rev. Jose Ballester (joseballester@mac.com).
In Peace,
Jen Shimkus
At-large member,
Governing Board
Ethical eating — UUA Study/Action Issue for 2008-2012
January 27, 2009
STUDY: Family-owned, sustainable, small-scale farms survive despite great odds: competition from huge, profit–driven factory farms; lack of government support, which goes instead to industrial agriculture; pressure to sell their property to developers; and the need for a second income to make ends meet. They survive despite these formidable obstacles because of the values of most small farmers – respect for the environment and for their animals; concern for the welfare of their employees, whom they know personally, and for the health of those who consume the food they produce; a deep appreciation for the cycle of life and the cycle of the seasons and a desire to witness those cycles. They make an investment in the future of the land they cultivate by using sustainable farming methods. They make personal sacrifices in order to live out their principles. These values are consistent with our own Unitarian Universalist principles.
There are about 600 farms in Rhode Island, most of them family-owned and operated and smaller than 100 acres. They produce eggs, meat, dairy products, and fruits and vegetables. Most are farmed sustainably, many organically and without antibiotics, growth hormones, or genetically modified seeds. Local farmers deserve our support!
ACTION: Visit the Wintertime Farmers’ Market at the beautiful, renovated mill, Hope Artiste Village (1005 Main St., Pawtucket). It runs every Saturday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.. You can get locally grown winter vegetables (onions, garlic, turnips, potatoes, winter squash, etc.); apples, cider, and other orchard products; locally roasted fair-trade coffee; eggs from free-range chickens; meat, poultry, and seafood; cheese; maple syrup; bakery goods – all produced right here in Little Rhody. There is always live music and a happy, festive atmosphere. Learn more at www.farmfreshri.org.
~Carol Crowley (ccrowley8@cox.net)
Board Bits
January 27, 2009
In this monthly column we summarize the recent activities and decisions of the Governing Board of Bell Street Chapel. It is our goal to keep you as informed as possible about what we do at our meetings, as we represent and are answerable to you, the congregation. Also, we remind you that all our meetings are open. We would be happy if members of the congregation attended. If you would like to make suggestions for the agenda, speak to the president, Don Laliberte.
At our Jan. 13 meeting, the Board was joined by Nominating Committee Chairperson Peg Boyle, who updated us on openings in leadership for next year. She also brought us a gift, in the form of Ray Perreault who agreed to join the board in the vacant at-large seat. The Board voted to approve his appointment immediately, and we are now complete. Welcome aboard, Ray!
The Board appointed Ray, Philip Smith, Brian Kovacs, Kate Gillis and Dan Greco to the new Mission and Vision Workgroup, and voted on an official charge for the group. Check out Jen Shimkus’ column on Page 2 for details.
After a review by the Membership Committee, which sent letters to a number of members who haven’t been around, the Board certified 61 members for official Unitarian Universalist Association purposes. That number is lower than the 74 we certified last year, but that’s because we made more of an effort to ensure accuracy and contact people in question. Lowering the number also ensures that we don’t pay UUA dues for members who aren’t really here.
We’ve had many visitors at recent services, and to better respond to their’ needs, the Board committed to expanding our monthly post-service question-and-answer session for visitors to a short weekly event hosted by members of the Board and the Membership Committee. A basic guide will be developed to help lead the discussion.
Since our Share the Plate proposal didn’t get started the first week of the month, we postponed it until February, lest our first designated charity get less than a full month’s worth of its share. The Board approved funding for a number of improved signs for the church grounds to tell visitors where we are from the street and where to park. This money was included in our Plan for Growth, which is being funded by the Board of Trustees.
~Meredyth Waterman
President Elect