Water Connects us - to one another, to the earth, and to the journeys that have shaped our lives. Join us for this annual, beloved Unitarian Universalist ritual. Many waters will become one as we celebrate the diversity of our experiences and renew our commitment to journey together in the year ahead.
Maureen Porter and Dave Ruef will be our Worship Associates,
Emily White will give the Time for All Ages,
with music provided by our Choir and Ryan Pagels
9:30am - Nursery Opens, Annex - Children ages 5 and under are welcome in the nursery 9:30am - 12:15pm
- Children ages 6 and under are welcome after RE classes until 12:15pm
9:45am - Meditation, Upper Gage Hall
10:00 - 10:55am, Religious Education Classes - Elementary aged students (K - 6th grade) will meet in Upper Gage Hall.
- Youth (7th - 12th grade) will meet in the Annex.
- Following RE classes, children will join the service in the Sanctuary.
12:00pm - Coffee Hour, Gage Hall Join us in Gage Hall following the service for coffee and conversation. Connect with staff and members and make new friends!
Alliance Fall Rummage Sale Saturday September 12; 9:00am
Lower Gage Hall
Support the Alliance this Saturday during the Fall Rummage Sale. Stop by for great finds at great prices all while supporting the church and other community organizations.
Women's Group Saturday, September 12; 10:00am The Annex (behind Gage Hall)
For this month only, we will not be meeting in Gage Hall as the Alliance Rummage Sale is scheduled for the same time. Our group will meet in the Annex building, behind Gage Hall. This month we will discuss the new Woven Faith small group ministry packet. September's theme is interdependence. You can watch a primer video on the topic HERE. Please know you are always welcome to just drop in, if that works best for you.
Family Circle Saturday, September 12; 5:00-7:00pm West Ashley
Are you raising children or teens in our church? If so, Family Circle may become your favorite church activity. Each month we meet at a member’s home for a potluck meal together for an hour. Afterwards, kids play under the supervision of paid childcare providers while adults have a guided conversation on a theme relevant to our faith and the many challenges and delights of parenting. Email emily@charlestonuu.org to RSVP and sign up. The address will be sent on Friday to all RSVPed attendees.
Pancake and Syrup Drive September 13, 20
For the month of September we are hosting a Pancake Drive to benefit James Island County Outreach food pantry. Bring a box of pancake mix and syrup to Gage Hall anytime in September and we will deliver it to JICO at the end of the month!
Third Thursday Happy Hour Thursday, September 17; 8:30am Charleston Crab House - 145 Wappoo Creek Dr
Next week, we’re going to JAMES ISLAND for our All Church Happy Hour. This is a great intergenerational event where newer and longtime members get the opportunity to mingle. If you don’t live there, take the opportunity to stay-cation with the rest of us and enjoy some late summer Lowcountry water views. Rev. Rebecca and Jules will both be hosting, so this is also a great opportunity to connect with them about membership.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS
First Day of RE Classes This Sunday September 13 → First day of RE classes! 10:00-10:55 am; Upper Gage Hall and Annex
Elementary class and Youth Sample days begin. RE Parents: please fill out this year’s registration form HERE if you haven’t done so already.
Attention all RE Volunteers: We are having a Volunteer Commissioning during the service. Even if you aren’t volunteering this day, please join us for the service so we can honor you.
SAVE THE DATE
New Member Class Sunday, September 20; 12:30pm Upper Gage Hall - Conference Room
The New Member Class is an introduction to the Unitarian Church in Charleston. It's designed for anyone interested in Membership or exploring their place in our community. We gather for 90 minutes, share a light lunch and get to know you! Bring your questions, appetite and curiosity. Get ready to learn all about life on campus, church programs, social justice initiatives, and the many ways we gather in groups.
We use this time to discuss Membership in depth and explore some of the privileges and responsibilities. You'll leave class understanding the "next steps" and we will disclose what happens at the New Member ceremony when you sign The Book of Life. If you're unsure of Membership this is a great time to ask questions and let us know how to help support your unique spiritual path.
Whether you're starting here or getting ready to pick up where you left off, you're not alone. We're so excited to meet you! Email: jules@charlestonuu.org to RSVP today!
Taize Service Sunday, September 20; 6:00pm Sanctuary
The Taizé (pronounced tay-zay) style of worship is defined by its contemplative rhythm. It invites participants to enter a "common prayer" that requires no hymnal or sermon to understand, only a willingness to join one’s voice with others in a chant that becomes, over time, a resting place for the presence of God.
The Taizé Community was founded in 1940. It began not as a refuge. During World War II, Brother Roger Schütz hid Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazi occupation. To avoid detection, he asked that they pray in silence so as not to alert the authorities. This necessity of silence, combined with a deep desire for reconciliation between divided Christians (Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox), became the seed of the community. Today, the Taizé Community is made up of over 100 brothers from diverse denominations and nationalities. Their unique style of worship was developed to be accessible to everyone, regardless of language or theology.
NAACP - Protect and Respect the Bodies Rally Saturday, September 26; 6:30pm Burke High School Auditorium
Join the NAACP in partnership with Protect and Respect the Bodies, Asalh, and Black Lives Matter for an evening of unity, education, and action as we stand together to honor lives, demand justice, and protect our communities.
Lowcountry Food Bank Volunteering Saturday, September 19; 9:00am Churchyard
Come volunteer with us next Saturday! We meet at 9:00 a.m. and usually finish by 11:30. Closed-toe shoes required. Children 12 and older with an adult and 16 and older are welcome to participate; LCFB staff will sign for school volunteer hours. Sign up HERE and contact Leslie Gergen or office@charlestonuu.org if you have questions.
September Book Clubs
Minister’s Book Club - Sat., Sept. 19, 10am in Gage Hall Reading: The AI Mirror: How to Reclaim Our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking by Shannon Vallor
Women’s Book Club - Tues., Sept. 22, 6pm in Gage Hall
Reading: The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
Books and Coffee - Sun., Sept. 27, 4:30pm in W. Ashley
Reading: Culpability by Bruce Holsinger
SCUUJA Fall Festival Saturday, September 26; 9:30am - 4:15pm UU Columbia
One topic the festival will spotlight is Environmental Justice. In the morning, we'll hear from Robby Maynor, Policy Advocate at Southern Environmental Law Center, who will give a workshop titled Protecting South Carolina's Environment in the Digital Age. In the workshop, he'll discuss data centers in South Carolina and the polluting gas infrastructure being proposed to serve them. You'l also learn more about the community and environmental impacts of these facilities, and how you can engage at the local and state levels to advocate for better protections.
In the afternoon, our Environmental Justice Action Team will meet and strategize next steps. They'll be joined by Robby Maynor and SCUUJA Board Member Evan Renshaw, who also serves as the Partnerships and Engagement
Manager at the Conservation Voters of South Carolina.
The 3rd Annual Pop Music Trivia Contest! A Church FUNdraiser Saturday, September 26, 6:30-8:30pm (doors open 6:15)
Lower Gage Hall
We raised $1000 last year and it’s more fun than ever! ALL AGES will enjoy connecting with both newer and older music as you good-naturedly compete with your friends in teams. It’s OK if you haven’t followed pop music for awhile. Your hosts Dave & Karen Ruef will get you singing and dancing along with your friends in any case.
Invite your friends - whether UUs or not - and reserve your place now for $20. Buy your ticket online NOW or come to our ticket table at coffee hour each Sunday up to the event.
There will be Raffle tix for cool prizes plus delish food and drink for only $3. (If you’d like to help out at the event or donate a snack or dessert to be sold – it IS a fundraiser! – please let Dave know or email office@charlestonuu.org
"Honoring Connecting Circles
on the 25th Anniversary of 9/11"
by MaryAnn Terry
On the evening of the famous catastrophe of Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, our church began its first Small Group Ministry program. We called it Connecting Circles.
There was a feeling in the church at that time (the turn of the century) about community and what personal core values we had as Unitarians. Around the same time several of our church members went to the UUA General Assembly and had heard of a program for small groups within a congregation. So after seeking and searching we adopted the idea of creating small groups (8 to 10) meeting in members homes once a month in some geographic closeness. Four groups were initially created. Leadership was fostered by having a different member of the group each month be the facilitator. And, of course, as Unitarians refreshments were included!
Now back to September 11.
The first small group meeting was scheduled for early in the month on the Tuesday of September 11. We all know what happened the day – the Twin Towers fell, a church was demolished, (one my family helped build) ambulances were lined up, dust was everywhere over NYC. The group for that night thought maybe they should cancel that evening’s meeting. They called the then minister Rev. Jacqueline Collins to ask if they should cancel. Her response was immediate. She said “if not now, when?”
People were bewildered, sad, angry, confused. Coming together could help.
The founding group for this program in 2001 included Sam Cogsdell, Rev Jacqueline Collins, Richard Moss, Gail Schlutz, Dr. Sally Smith, and myself.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Join our Music Program!
The Choir practices every Wednesday at 6:45pm in Lower Gage Hall
Now is the perfect time to get involved with our music program! The two primary ways to be involved are our Chancel Choir, which meets Wednesdays at 6:45pm, and our House Band which typically meets once a month. Prior professional training/experience not needed! For any questions, please reach out to our music director at ryan@charlestonuu.org
Blessing box donations can be placed directly in the box, if there is room, or in the storage cabinet in the storage area of Gage Hall (where the folding chairs are stored.) Throughout the week, staff refill the box outside as space and supply allows.
To share a significant life event (births, deaths, celebrations, transitions and other joys and sorrows) send to Marcia Castano at BookOfLife@CharlestonUU.org 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.
