[Worship] Worship & Music Committee - Minutes of Sept. 2 meeting

[Martha McGovern]

Minutes of September 2, 2020 Meeting of the Worship & Music Committee
In Attendance:  Adeline Bailey, Kat Hawbaker, Martha McGovern, Maggie Meyer, Suzyn Mills, Annie 
		  Warmke
Chalice Lighting (Thanks to Suzyn Mills):  Poem by Dawna Markova  https://www.dawnamarkova.com
	I will not die an unlived life.
	I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire.
	I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me,
	to make me less afraid, more accessible:
	to loosen my heart until it becomes a wing, 
	a torch, a promise.
	I choose to risk my significance,
	to live so that which came to me as seed
	goes to the next as blossom,
	and that which came to me as blossom, 
	goes on as fruit.

1. Minutes of August  meeting were approved.
2. Theme for 2020- 2021:  How can we be mindful and authentic in cherishing all life? 
3. Moving Forward with Virtual Worship and Return to In-Church Services:  What are next steps??
• The committee members expressed how valuable they feel Randall Kidder’s music has been for morale during the pandemic and how keeping him on the payroll is a very high priority.  They also considered how his contributions can be utilized more effectively (e.g., to promote participation in the virtual worship services, to improve coordination between Randy and the designer of the worship service.)  Martha responded to Randy’s email.  Copy  of response will be shared with committee members separately.
• Kat will share additional information about a service called Worshipcast that deals with copyright issues for music.  
4. Financial Matters:  
*Jane Tumas-Serna has made a $500 donation to the Worship & Music Committee.  She designated the funds to purchase of battery-powered candles for the candelabras in the Sanctuary and for special services, such as the Day of the Dead.  If funds remain, she would like them to go toward covering technology costs.
*Dr. Mark Sibicky has been notified that his stipend ($75) for the August 16 reflection has been added to the Technology budget line for purchasing improved A/V equipment.
*Kat will complete the paperwork for donation of $250 stipend to Washington State Community College Foundation as requested by Rev. Felix Burrows, who was guest speaker on August 30.
5. Martha Webster is asking for guidance as she plans music for services.  The Committee brainstormed some ideas:  aim for special music once per month, feature family groups, talk with Jay Warmke and WOUB about coordinating multiple singers on Zoom, be a guest speaker on the healing power of music.
6. Reflection on Service – Felix Burrows  “Speak for Yourself”  August 30
What went well:  The interview structure was effective.  The option should be added to other 
		structures, such as panel, personal stories.
What to refine:  
Thematic/coherent:
Spirituality/Faith Tradition:
Life Span:
7. The Committee decided to ask committees/groups to reflect on how they are, or intend to be, mindful and authentic in cherishing all life and then to be a part of, or to take responsibility for, a worship service on that 2020-2021 theme.  The Committee hopes that this approach will deepen insight into the purpose of the committee/group, will increase involvement of members/friends, and will inform the congregation of the activities of the committees/groups.  Martha will contact Board, Board of Trust Governors, Green Sanctuary, Caring Committee, Men’s Group, Women’s Group, Building & Grounds, Membership, BRIDGES, Finance, and W & M Committee.
8. For next meeting, Committee members will bring “anchor readings” for the theme as resources for development of worship services.
September - December:  
Possible Topics and Speakers:  
Committees reflect on being mindful/authentic toward cherishing all life in time of pandemic
Swap/Share with Charleston UU, Athens UU – Kat  [on August 16??]
UU Vote
>From Interfaith Power & Light – Democracy Values & the 2020 Election: A Reflection Guide for Faith Communities – Martha
Women & Vote Empowerment – Annie
History of Voting – Jann Adams ??
Black Lives Matter (Panel -- Moni, Geroge B, Darryl T, Ted G) – Kat ??
Gospel Music and/or Blues -- Sadie Johnson 
BLM and Sumner School in Parkersburg  [Peg – contact Peshka Calloway for October 18, 25???]

August
	2	Kat - Lammas: First Fruits of Harvest (Celtic)  9:30 a.m. – Courtyard, 11:00 a.m. – virtual
	9	“Celebrating 80 Yrs of UUSC: Brave Legacy, Bold Future” – pre-recorded
	16	Kat & guest speaker Mark Sibicky, Ph.D.  The Social Psychology of a Pandemic: 
		Conspiracy Theories, Social Anxiety, and Why Some People Won’t Wear a Mask
	23	Kat & Martha  Prayer and Poetry
	30	Kat & guest speaker Felix Burrows   Speak for Yourself (racism and poverty)
September	?? When Launch theme??
	6	Kat - The Inherent Worth & Dignity of Essential Workers    WA - Peg Clifford 
	13	Kat - Positivity in Pandemic  (Kristen – artist)
	20	Kat with Annie Warmke   Water Ceremony + Autumn Equinox
	27	Kat - Congregational Meeting “Mindful About Money”   
October 
	4	Annie Warmke & Suzyn Mills  – Values and Voting     {Blessing of Animals in Courtyard}
	11	Indigenous People’s Day
	18	Options:  Robin Bozian - National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, 
       video on UUA the Vote, 
       Peshka Calloway – BLM & Sumner School in Parkersburg
	25	“   “
November
	1	Day of the Dead & All Souls
	8	Spiritual Sustenance
	15	Women’s Group  on 2020-2021 theme ??
	22	Thanksgiving
	29	Advent begins
December
	6
	13
	20
		24  Christmas Eve
	27

Possible Topics and speakers for future services:  
• ***Wenda Sheard from Athens UU proposes collaboration, perhaps in spring 2020, in which Athens and Marietta would do a joint service, at Athens church one Sunday and Marietta church another Sunday.   Offer came via Robin at bozian.com
• Jim Rapp – idea to connect historical events/movements to FUUSM -  “From These Pews”
• Martha will communicate to Rev. Elizabeth Teal of the Jacksonville, Florida UU congregation that we will welcome her as a guest speaker and will coordinate dates, probably in the summer.  904-874-0047  reverendteal at gmail.com
• Kat will open discussion with Rev. Elizabeth Maleke , Williamstown Presbyterian, about a pulpit exchange or team preaching.  
• Forgiveness as recurring service – connected with Yom Kippur “We forgive ourselves and each other.  We begin again in Love.”
• clarification of various service/outreach activities of the local congregation and endeavors with UUA, UUSC, etc. and their relationship with FUUSM principles, mission
Need for tracking and regular reporting? For example in Finance Committee records and Annual Meeting  report??   Do our church finances align with our mission?
• Possible speakers:  artists: Dani, Morgan/Owen
• Mind maps may help the congregation identify how they are active in FUUSM efforts/activities and what additional options they would like.
• Moral leadership:  Truman and Berlin Air Lift
• Rancho Mirage Writers Festival (published on February 17, 2017) – Questions from Bret 
		Stephens:  Are we a country that seeks and attracts human capital and believes in being 
		fundamentally open to the world?  Are we a self-critical country or a country of blamers?  
		Do we define our interests according to our values or vice versa?  Do we have a healthy 
		innovation culture?  Do we have a healthy civic culture?  Are we still a nation of 
		optimists?  What are our attitudes toward foreigners, failure, global leadership, change, 
		each other? 
• Touchstone REACH Packet, Hungry Town, multiple intelligences with additional one - existential-spiritual, powerful children’s stories, ages of women, This I Believe, family stories as carriers of family values, June Teenth celebration, reflections of people who grew up in UU congregation (Jay Phillips, Mike Bailey, Dean Banziger), Bill Bauer and Peg Clifford on suicide and kindness,  reflections of former ministers, Living Mindfully – Prepare for the Unexpected (Robin Bozian, Anita Newhart, Sue Montera, Virginia Mayle), Quill as a storyteller, Quakers on consensus, morality of artificial intelligence. 
• Hal Walker – Suzyn	Catherine Roma – Kat	
• Peg Clifford – What does democracy look like to whom?, We are all brothers (Day of the Dead), 
		5 words for learning in Hebrew, immigration – world map of our origins
		Cooperation with other churches – bus trip to African-American Museum in DC or 
		Underground Railroad in Cincinnati
• Protest – contrast burning cross & burning flag  (Barb Kidd)
• Diversity: awareness of brain injury – (Beverly Bradley)
• Summer Institute:  Encouraging attendance, using resources  e.g., Non-Violent Communication 	
• Peg Clifford – “Where did I come from & why?” testimonials from members/friends
• Visual Arts (social justice, spirituality)
• Shelley Graffs – Singing in Sacred Circle, etc.  graffs at cinci.rr.com
• Trauma-Informed Care/ Trauma-Informed Schools                                                  

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://fuusm.org/pipermail/worship_fuusm.org/attachments/20200905/dcae4132/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Minutes for September 2 2020.doc
Type: application/msword
Size: 51200 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://fuusm.org/pipermail/worship_fuusm.org/attachments/20200905/dcae4132/attachment.doc>