at the corner of Pomona Road and Liebig Street in Galloway,
near the North entrance to Richard Stockton College.
Directions
Sunday Services start at 10:00 am and last till about 11:00 am.
Child care and a children’s program is available.
A coffee hour for socializing follows the service.
Jan -- Feb -- Mar -- Apr -- May -- Jun -- Jul -- Aug -- Sep -- Oct -- Nov -- Dec
2009
Top of pageJanuary 4
The First Hundred Days
Rev Rosemarie Newberry
No, this is not a sermon making predictions about the Obama presidency. It is about Rosemarie's first hundred days as our new minister. To start off the new year, she will share some reflections and make some predictions.
January 11
Marching With Martin
Rev Rosemarie Newberry
Two Unitarian Universalists sacrificed their lives supporting Civil Rights. The stories of The Rev. James Reeb (1927-65) and Viola Liuzzo (1925-65) are important to know. They were both killed as part of their participation in the protest march from Selma to Montgomery. Their actions can still be an inspiration for all of us.
January 18
Sixth Source: Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature
Lay speaker Prim Reeves
Adopted in 1995, UU's newest source of inspiration and meaning owes its inclusion in part to the increasing need to feel part of the "interdependent web" mentioned in our Seventh Principle.
January 25
Change the World Before Those Other Guys Do
Guest speaker Bruce Knotts
While we are not a missionary church, we need missionary zeal to promote UU values. Without our input in the world, we leave the world who would remake the world according to values most of us would not like to see prevail. Therefore, it is our obligation to be involved and active to change the world with justice and compassion. One way to promote UU values on a global scale is to support the UU office at the United Nations, the most important forum there is for global issues.
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February 1
Generations
Lay leader Barbara Clark
Life is a miraculous passage through amazing ages. What is there to look forward to in the next decade of your life? Come hear the viewpoint of different age cohorts.
February 8
Volunteer Sunday
The Reverend Rosemarie Newberry
It is that time again. We will be looking at the needs of our congregation and the gifts of the individuals. We will have some fun and also explore how nurturing, teaching, learning, hospitality, and listening are all spiritual practices. Let’s grow our souls together.
February 15
10 am
Love is the Doctrine
The Reverend Rosemarie Newberry
“Love is the doctrine of this church, the quest of truth is its sacrament, and service is its prayer.” Many congregations recite this affirmation every Sunday. The Rev. Rosemarie Newberry will explore the multiple meanings of love and analyze its applicability to a post modern and post Christian society. There will be special visitors that morning, joining us for both morning worship and afternoon celebration.
February 15
4:30 pm
Building Dedication
Guest minister The Reverend John Crestwell
The service will last approximately 1½ hours, followed by light refreshments. Note: please park in the Stockton College lot if possible. Parking in the UU Center lot primarily for handicapped, and our special guests.February 22
The Perfect Heart
Intergenerational service, led by Rev Newberry & Heidi Jannsch
This intergenerational service will explore a community’s need to find a new leader with a “perfect heart”.
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March 1
Being Dust
Guest minister The Reverend F. Jay Deacon, D.Min.
Ash Wednesday was last week. Isn't Lent, with that ash-mark on all those foreheads, a bit grovelly for UUs? We are an amalgam of god and dust. To be a religious, a moral being, is sometimes to feel uneasy about the quality of our purposes, days, and deeds, without grovelling. When Emerson spoke of the "Supreme Critic on the errors of the past and the present, and the only prophet of that which must be," he meant something capable of taking a measure of us. And what is that?
March 8
Reflections on Humility
Guest speaker Mark Bernstein, JPD Director for Growth
Being humble with each other enables members of a congregation to find their “right fit” and to truly listen to and learn from each other. In this message, Mark will discuss the virtue of humility and how it can help a congregation to grow and thrive.
March 15
For the Love of Money
The Reverend Rosemarie Newberry
We are more comfortable speaking about sex, religion and politics, than we are about money. Money can be wonderful or very stressful. Today we will look at the spiritual side of money, if there is one.
March 22
Unitarian Universalism: What’s Love Got to Do With It?
Lay leader Richard Grzywinski
From the perspective of a “devout spiritual humanist,” and with a little help from Shakespeare and a morning poem, we will explore the meaning of love, its spiritual roots, its consistency with our UU Principles, and why it is so important to our emotional well-being.”
March 29
Theology 101
The Reverend Rosemarie Newberry
It takes at least four classes on theology before a minister can begin to understand start to understand it. Unitarian Universalists can call themselves theists, atheists, pantheists or panentheists. Come hear a discussion about theology that you will understand in just twenty minutes.
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April 5
The Beatitudes
The Reverend Rosemarie Newberry
The Sermon on the Mount is considered one of the most famous collections of wisdom of the prophet Jesus. The Rev. Rosemarie Newberry will look at the two versions that exist in the Christian Scriptures and reflect on the message that it has for us today. This sermon topic was picked as part of the annual auction -- thank you, Betsy and John Searight. Also, in this service will be a time for new members to sign the membership book.
April 12
A Single Path
Lay speaker Margaret Rea
Margaret Rea, long time member of this Congregation, will speak about the past and present use of Labyrinths as tools for meditation, metaphors for life's journey, and platforms for healing and ritual.
April 19
Our Shared Ministries
The Reverend Rosemarie Newberry
The new Committee on Ministry and The Rev Rosemarie Newberry will be sharing and reflecting on our shared ministries. We will be considering how we work together, how we handle conflicts, how we divide up the responsibilities between professional and lay ministers. There will be an opportunity after the service to gather and discuss deeper your thoughts and views. This Sunday will also be the first Children’s Chapel. The children will not be with the adults upstairs and will enjoy their own chapel downstairs. Both the Children’s Chapel and the after service discussions are embraced by many Unitarian Universalist congregations and we are trying them out as an experiment. We would love to hear your feedback.
April 26
The Water Cycle, Past and Future
The Reverend Rosemarie Newberry
This will be an intergenerational service; the children will attend the entire service. In honor of Earth Day, we will be learning about our water, including pollution and water rights. Everyone will learn something new and be motivated to make changes in their lives.
The Core of Fire, a Unitarian Universalist (mostly) liturgical dance group, will dance a new piece of theirs.
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May 3
Ethical Eating, Part I
Lay leader Michael Cluff
Michael will discuss the environmental and ethic implications of what we eat, from factory farming to mass-produced organic. Are there inconvenient truths even pro-green Unitarians need to hear?
May 10
Wisdom – Where can we find it?
The Reverend Rosemarie Newberry
One reason many come to a faith group is to grow spiritually.
One characteristic of a spiritually mature person is that they are wise.
Before one can be wise, one must be able to be able to recognize wisdom.
So where can it be found? Would you recognize it, if you saw it?
May 17
Service at 11:00!
Paul Winter’s Earth Mass/Missa Gaia
Lay leader Barbara Miller
Music Director Barbara Miller will lead this service as we experience recorded selections from Paul Winter’s Earth Mass/Missa Gaia. Missa Gaia integrates world music with songs from the wild to celebrate the whole earth as a sacred space. UU composer Jim Scott was one of the principal musicians involved with its creation.
May 24
The Legacy of Liberal UU Ministers
Guest speaker Frank Kowalczyk
MaryAnne Kowalczyk’s husband Frank will interview three historic women: Miss Olympia Brown, the first Universalist-ordained minister, Dr. Mary Augusta Safford, a pioneer in frontier Unitarianism, and Dr. Caroline Julia Bartlett Crane, journalist, suffragist, public health crusader, and pacifist.
May 31
Coming of Age Service
Led by our Coming of Age RE class
All this past year, the COA teens have been asking "Big Questions", such as "what is the purpose of life?", "what do you have faith in?", and "what are your hopes and dreams for the future?", as they explore their own personal beliefs and values as emerging Unitarian Universalists. They will be sharing their personal credos with the congregation in this special service that is not to be missed.
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June 7
Flower Communion
Lay leader TBA
Just as no two flowers are alike, so no two people are alike, yet each has a contribution to make.
Together the different flowers form a beautiful bouquet. Norbert Čapek is a
Czech Baptist-turned-Unitarian who more than 80 years ago created the Flower Communion service
beloved by Unitarian Universalists everywhere. Please bring a sprig of flowers with you to the service to be shared.
June 14
Living the GLBT Life: Equality for All
Lay speaker Allison Woolbert
This exciting service will explore several individual’s views of how it was to grow up being gay,
lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender. Each person will also speak to their spirituality and the gift
of finding our beloved community, the UUCSJS.
June 21
Summer Solstice Celebration
Lay leader Theresa McReynolds
This year our Summer Solstice celebration will be taking place on the exact day where the length
of the night and the day is equal. Come bask in the joy of the height of the light! Service will
be held outdoors, weather permitting. Chairs will be provided, but bring a hat and sunglasses if needed.
June 28
Patriotism and Social Conscience: The Stars & Stripes, or The Chalice?
Lay speaker Richard Grzywinski
While we frequently oppose our nation’s engagement in wars, or decry its social policies that we view
as inconsistent with our UU principles, can we (and should we) endorse or participate in acts of “patriotism?”
Is patriotism somehow contrary to the idea of the oneness of humanity because it promotes separateness and
highlights group differences? Ideas to consider before another Fourth of July.
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July 5
One Unitarian’s View on Religion
Lay speaker Carl Benner
Carl Benner will present his view on God, organized religions and their prophets. If you hear echoes of The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine, no one will be surprised.
July 12
Mountain Meadow: A Safe Haven for Youth from LGBTQ Families
Guest speaker Carolyn Thompson
Youth from diverse backgrounds will share their experiences growing up in LGBTQ families.
July 19
Step By Step For Peace
Guest minister Jody Kessler
This service will celebrate the life, work and teachings of Peace Pilgrim, an American woman who dedicated her life to the cause of peace in a unique and powerful way. Drawing inspiration from this remarkable person who truly "walked her walk" for a peaceful world, we will explore through song, meditation, and sharing from the heart how world peace begins with us and finds its expression through us.
July 26
The Spiritual Discipline of Giving Money Away
Guest minister Rev. Ned Wight
In August 2006 the Rev. Ned Wight moved from San Diego, where he had completed 13 years as minister of a new UU congregation, to Long Island, where he began his current tenure as Executive Director of the UU Veatch Program at Shelter Rock. Rev. Ned will share insights about his transition from parish ministry to leadership of a unique grantmaking program, as well as his observations about the challenges — intellectual, emotional and spiritual — of giving money away.
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August 2
6.8 Billion and Growing: Are We There Yet?
Guest speaker John Seager
The earth's population is growing by one billion every dozen years. There is a clear connection between this growth and virtually every global challenge from poverty to climate change and from species extinction to the political instability of failed nation-states. John will give a brief overview of the causes and impacts of rapid population growth and how to meet this challenge through voluntary approaches.
August 9
Loving Ourselves and Others
Guest speaker Don Grubbs
Can “love” be a basic philosophy of life? What is love? How can I really love myself and how can I grow in love? Can I love all others, when some people seem so "unlovable?"
August 16
Sacred and Profane: The Common Roots of Theater and Worship
Lay speaker Pam Hendrick
As far as historians and anthropologists have been able to discern, religion has existed in all human societies. The same is true for public performance. In many cultures these two phenomena were at one time inseparable, and in some cultures they still are. Most forms of worship contain elements of performance, but do elements of the sacred still reside in our many forms of public performance?
August 23
Slow Food Smorgasbord
Lay speaker Missie Aprill
Join Missie Aprill as she prepares an “all-you-can-think” buffet of ideas about food. Learn about the Slow Food movement and how its philosophies mirror our UU principles. Satisfy your intellectual appetite and take home new “recipes” for food that is good, clean and fair.
August 30
Rethinking the Creation Story of Genesis From a Feminist Perspective
Guest speaker Donna Renfro, Divinity student
In the first three chapters of Genesis, information about females is revealed in three different ways -- explicit, implicit, and null (which means: What's said? What's not said? What’s not even noticed?). This leads to a new way to interpret the feminine in these verses.
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September 6
Standing On the Side of Love
Lay speaker Margaret Rea
Margaret, our delegate to the June 2009 General Assembly in Salt Lake City (the UUA’s annual convention), will share a bit of the sense of the mornings, and afternoons, and evenings -- the worship, meetings, workshops, and information overload. Will you be inspired to attend 2010 GA in Minneapolis-St. Paul?
September 13
Ingathering & Water Communion: Water of Life
Led by Richard Grzywinski and Barbara Miller
This year’s water service will be presented in contemporary style and feature the retelling of the Brothers Grimm tale The Water of Life. All ages are welcome at this service, and remember to please bring a small amount of water from a place of personal or spiritual significance to add to our common bowl.
September 20
Into the Valley of the Shadow
Lay speaker Stephanie Garrett
Please join us to hear a UU’s perspective on death and dying. Based in part on Rev. Forrest Church's last book Love and Death: My Journey through the Valley of the Shadow (he announced in 2008 that he has terminal cancer), Stephanie’s will share her own thoughts and experiences.
September 27
Truth or Consequences
Lay speaker Richard Grzywinski
In our “free and responsible search for truth and meaning,” do we know “Truth” when we encounter it? Is the search for truth a “fool’s errand?” Can it be molded to fit our own reality? How can we tell right from wrong, or good from evil, when something so seemingly concrete as the truth seems so elusive? A follow-up to Richard’s previous talk entitled “Unitarian Universalism, What’s love got to do with it?”
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October 4
Association Sunday
Guest minister Rev Om Prakash
This service will celebrate the Unitarian Universalist Association. As a small, yet influential organization, we have historically been at the foreground of social change: the creation of more humane society; deep theological reflection and insights; and the promotion of the worth and dignity of the human family on all levels. In this service we will address the UUA’s dedication to becoming a multi-racial, multi-cultural, anti-racist association and what this means in a world--and in our congregations, that are becoming multi-racial and multi-cultural right now. We will consider what a combination of this decision and shifting demographics mean for all of us, and how this decision and those like it, will affect our lives and the lives of the coming generations well into the future.
October 11
To Be One is to Be Truly Whole
Led by Donna Renfro
Core of Fire is an interfaith dance ministry of mature women, who use the healing power of dance to combine spiritual connection and creative movement into choreography that speaks to our deepest longings to express the awe, wonder and anguish of the life experience. We will tell our personal and collective stories about what Core means to us, in dance, poems, and anecdotes, and debut a new dance!
October 18
Gratitude
Lay speaker Theresa McReynolds
Being grateful may be good for the soul, but its power is magnified when it is not kept private but shared with those around you. At this service Theresa and Mariann will remind us why it’s important to say “Thank You.”
October 25
Addictions Recovery Ministry
Lay speaker Will Parsons
Will will describe what the many different addictions have in common and how the Addictions Recovery Ministry, a small group ministry, is contributing to the mission of the Congregation.
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November 1
Don’t Just Do Something, Sit There
Lay speaker Jim Woodcock
There is no doubt that our spiritual practice, whatever form it may take, can help us deal
with life's problems, including our own perceived shortcomings. Spiritual teachers and texts
can offer good advice to help us cope better and overcome self-defeating habits. But there
seems to be a trend towards believing that psychological growth and spiritual growth are the
same things, a trend which the psychiatrist Gerald May has called "dangerous." This talk
will try to explain how an over-emphasis on self-improvement might actually be an obstacle
to both our spiritual practice and our psychological well-being.
November 8
Home? Beloved Community?
Guest Speaker Kathy Ellis, Ministerial Intern
What makes a religious congregation home? What kind of "home maintenance" is needed?
How can our religious home be hospitable? How do we work toward becoming a beloved
community? And what does beloved community mean anyway?
November 15
Unitarianism and Universalism: The Roots
Lay speaker Mariann Maene
Our series on UU history will begin with the dawn of Christianity and continue through the
period just before John Murray sets sail for Murray Grove.
November 22
Eco Service Fair: "Full Green Ahead"
Lay speaker Jesse Connor
We put our Seventh Principle into practice in every phase of designing and building our UU
Center. Now it is the time to step up to commit to going "Full Green Ahead" in our daily
lives. Jesse Connor will lead this multi-generational service. After a 20 minute gathering
of music, message, and meditation, UUs and friends will be invited to visit a dozen stations
showing how we can take action to slow Global Climate Change.
November 29
Nichiren Buddhism
Guest speaker Michael Petkov
The Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is based on the teachings and philosophy of Nichiren
Buddhism, which places the highest emphasis on the sanctity of life. Members seek,
through their practice of Buddhism, to develop the ability to live with confidence, to create
value in any circumstance, and to contribute to the well-being of friends, family and
community.
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December 6
Unitarian Universalist History Series:
Part 2 -- American Steppingstones
Lay speaker Jon Luoma
In the late 18th century through the late 19th century, uniquely American forms of Universalism
and Unitarianism blossomed and, as always, continued to evolve. Even back then, two separate
U and U strands showed signs of intertwining commonality. (Central theme: Dogma Aren’t Us.)
December 13
Going Up! What is your Elevator Speech?
Lay speaker Melissa Hutchison
Past UUA President, William Sinkford, in a 2003 issue of the UU World magazine, famously said the following: “I always encourage people to work on their elevator speech, what you’d say when you’re going from the sixth floor to the lobby and somebody asks you, ‘What’s a Unitarian Universalist?’ You’ve got forty-five seconds.” UU’s all over the world have been working on their elevator speeches ever since. Today several of our very own UU’s at UUCSJS will share their elevator speeches with the congregation, and will also share more details about their personal theological journeys.
December 20
4:30 pm
(no service 10 am)
Winter Solstice Singing Ritual
Led by Barbara Miller
Deep, deep, deep in the dark of the winter…
A celebration of the Darkness and the Light with songs and stories. The singing will include music from calypso, Western choral singing, Native American texts, Greek mythology, feminist rounds, Pagan chants, and even an old American hymn.
The ritual runs about 75 minutes.
December 27
Book of Questions
Lay speaker Mariann Maene
Our customary informal end of year service, where we consider questions -- some light-hearted, and some reaching deep inside us -- and share our answers.
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