Prairie Fire Bulletin
October 6, 2010
In this issue:
-calendar
-programs
-annoucements
The Prairie Fire Bulletin is a calendar- only
newsletter that
is published by
Prairie Unitarian Universalist Society on the 6th of every month. The
full featured Prairie Fire is published
on the 21st of every month. View past issues at www.uuprairie.org
Contact Us:
Consulting Minister
Rev. Jane Esbensen
jlesbensen@gmail.com
770-5486
President
Barbara Park
barpark@gmail.com
608-273-8775
Director of Religious Education
Rebecca Malke-Eliganti
youthcoordinator@
uuprairie.org
695-3435
Editor/ Congregational Administrator
Kate Liu
admin@uuprairie.org
271-8218
Prairie Web Sites:
Home Page
www.uuprairie.org
News Group
http://groups.yahoo.
com/group/prairie
news/
Views
http://groups.yahoo.
com/group/prairie
views/
Social Action
http://socialaction.
madisonwi.us
Humanist Union
http://humanist.
madisonwi.us
Input Deadlines:
Calendar
items and program descriptions are due on the 1st and 15th of each
month. Feature articles for the full Prairie
Fire
are due on the 15th of each month. Please send to Kate Liu at
admin@uuprairie.org
or
call 271-8218.
Calendar
Thursday, October 7, 2010 - 7pm – Prairie Board Meeting
Sunday, October 10, 2010 - 8:45 am – Choir Rehearsal.
10:00 am – service - "Not
Everything Under the Sun: What Does It Mean To Be UU?” presented
by Rev. Jane Esbensen.
Friday,
October 15, 2010 - Prairie Fire article deadline
Registration
deadline for Adult Ed course, “What
it Means to be a UU” with Rev. Jane Esbensen.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
9am – 1pm: Outdoor
workday and window washing at Prairie.
5:00 pm – Fall Frolic at Schuster's Playtime Farm.
Sunday, October 17, 2010 - 8:45 am – Choir Rehearsal.
10:00 am – "Gay-Affirming Religious
Groups: Good News for Human Rights,” presented by Doleta Chapru.
11:45 am – Book Club meets to discuss Now and at the Hour, a novel by our own
former Prairie member Marty Drapkin.
Tuesday,
October 19, 2010
7pm
– Adult Ed class, “Designing a Rain Garden” with Judy
Skog.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
6:30 pm – Spanish
Speaker's Potluck at the home of Amy Schulz, 2304 S. Syene Rd. Call
273-2639 for directions, or Rosemary Dorney at 238-4382 to arrange a
ride.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Rain Date for Outdoor workday
and window washing at Prairie.
Sunday, October 24, 2010 - 8:45 am – Choir Rehearsal.
10:00 am – service - "Tai Chi as a
form of Spirituality" - presented by Randy Converse.
11:45
am – Service Auction!
Upcoming Programs
Sunday, October 10, 2010, 10:00 am: "Not Everything Under the Sun: What Does It Mean To Be UU?” presented by Rev.Jane Esbensen. Are you searching for a liberal religious home to call your own? Do you want to attend a church where asking questions is central to the search for truth and meaning in life? Are you interested in a religion that draws from the world’s religions as well as from philosophy and literature, one that is inspired by prophetic calls to justice? Ours is a religion where we want to reach out to the world and let it know of our existence, but do not proselytize. Ours is a religion where we go to a place called ”church” but where atheists, agnostics, humanists and theists sit side by side in a common goal toward world peace. We are a denomination that is old and yet we are everchanging as is the world in which we live. We are many things and yet we are one thing. So what does it mean to be UU? Come and find out. Maybe this church will become your church. Rev. Jane Esbensen was ordained in 1996 and served several congregations in Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin. Her ministry was put on hold as she raised her three children, now fully grown. Her experience is varied; most recently she lived in Sweden teaching English and Comparative Literature. While there, she worked with the latest wave of refugees and immigrants from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia, helping them transition to their new life in Sweden. Jane currently lives on the east side of Madison, serves Prairie UU and Lake Country UU in Hartland, Wisconsin and is a member of the First Unitarian Society. Describing herself as a Humanist, Rev. Esbensen focuses on the "goodness of humanity and the potential for growth that lies within us all." Rev.Esbensen's positive energy and enthusiasm for UUism is contagious.
Sunday, October 17, 2010, 10:00 am: "Gay-Affirming Religious Groups: Good News for Human Rights," presented by Doleta Chapru. At one time Unitarian Universalists were among the very few religious denominations to support gay rights. No longer. Significant improvements in the area of gay rights have taken place even since presenter Doleta Chapru gave a similar talk to the Humanist Society this past March. In this presentation, she will give an overview of her original talk, discuss subsequent advancements, and provide information about religious groups detrimental to the cause. Doleta Chapru is a long time Prairie member. She has gay family members and has been following religious responses to gay rights for many years.
Sunday, October 24, 2010, 10:00 am: “Tai Chi as a Form of Spirituality,” presented by Randy Converse.
Announcements
Adult Education News Our new minister, Rev. Jane Esbensen, will be offering a class, What It Means to Be a UU, Saturdays November 6 and 20, 10 a.m.-12 pm. The book Chosen Faith will be the resource for the class and will be purchased for participants. Registation deadline: October 15, $20 materials fee, scholarships available. Registration form is in the Adult Education packet and online at the Prairie website, http://www.uuprairie.org/re/adult_ed_brochure_final2010-11.pdf , or you may contact Prairie's admin, Kate Liu, at 271-8218; or Rev. Jane, 271-8218 or minister@uuprairie.org if you have questions about the class.
Service Auction October 24th! The Prairie service auction will be held this fall instead of the spring. Mark your calendars for after the service Sunday, October 24th. The auction will feature our world famous auctioneer, Orange Schroeder, and fabulous items and services donated by you! Please contact Finance Chair Kathy Converse with your ideas (conversekrtm@msn.com.)
Fall Frolic! (not just for kids) Fun on the Farm, Saturday, October 16th, 5:00 pm, at Schuster's Playtime Farm. Cost $12/person (includes activities and dinner) or whatever you can afford. WE NEED A HEAD COUNT BY OCTOBER 10th! Reserve your spot by contacting our DRE, Rebecca Malke at: youthcoordinator@uuprairie.org or 271-8218.
IHN Week Prairie is a buddy church for the Interfaith Hospitality Network. We send volunteers to help Midvale Lutheran house homeless families for a week. Midvale's next week of sheltering begins on October 10. You can sign up here: http://nordengs.com/ihn/group.asp?eg=16&u=true. Job descriptions are here: http://midvalelutheran.org/ihnjobs.htm Contact Erin Bosch with questions.