May 22 Service: Rev. Scott Sammler-Michael

"Whose are We??"

Inquirer's Class; Brown Bag Bible Study; Leadership Transition Workshop; nUUners; Needlework Circle; Social Justice Committee; Choir Rehearsal

We have Sunday service at 10:00 a.m. We welcome all members, friends and visitors to our Sunday services. Our Chalice Children (Toddlers and Preschoolers) and Faith Activities (Kindergarteners through 5th Graders) meet on Sunday mornings during the worship service. A nursery is provided for infants. Check the AUUC Web site, www.accotinkuuc.org or newsletter for more information.

Upcoming services:

May 22

Whose Are We??

Rev. Scott Sammler-Michael

We live our lives cast amid myriad relationships and commitments. How do we know which of the world's competing demands on us deserves our allegiance and attention? Join us as we mine the depth, breadth and height of the various valid claims on our lives, and how we can nurture our connections to the forces, communities and values we serve and the spirit which serves us.

Remember When Speaker—Dick Foster

Choir; Inquirer's Class; FORUM; Brown Bag Liberal Bible Study

May 29

Guest Speaker

See "This Week at Accotink" for details.

Brown Bag Liberal Bible Study

This Week's Calendar

Friday, June 20

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE

Sunday, May 22

10:00 a.m. Worship Service

10:15 a.m. RE classes and Chalice Children, and Nursery (9:55 a.m.)

noon Brown Bag Bible Study

noon AUUC Leadership Transition Workshop

Monday, May 23

11:00 a.m. nUUners

7:30 p.m. Program Council

Tuesday, May 24

9:15 a.m. Needlework Circle

Thursday, May 26

7:30 p.m. Social Justice Committee

7:30 p.m. Choir Rehearsal

Announcements for the Upcoming Weeks

Brown Bag Bible Study – a Liberal embrace of our religious roots every Sunday noon - 2:00 p.m.

Our wildly popular Bible Study series is improving. Beginning March 13, we will begin using the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) to guide our study. This will put us on a much easier schedule to follow for those who want to follow along and drop in and out – and it puts us in conversation with our Christian neighbors (who use the RCL as well.) The RCL can be found in numerous places online, such as this one – http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/ . We are currently in Year A, and we will begin March 13 with the readings on Lent. Bring a friend and find out how we can embrace the tradition while respectfully critiquing it!

Come to the CHUUG Hospitality Workshop May 21, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., at UU Arlington. This is a special chance to work with the UUA Multicultural Growth Director, Janice Marie Johnson, by looking at how we expand our welcome in all aspects of church life. If churches send 4 or more people, the charge is only $10 a head! That includes lunch prepared by the fabulous Erica, UU Arlington's head of food ministries. This event is particularly relevant for leaders in Worship, Hospitality, RE, and for senior leadership. Register at www.jpduua.org

Montgomery County Annual Peace Luncheon on Saturday, May 21 at 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville

Keynote Speaker, Gene Bruskin

The keynote speaker for this year's Peace Luncheon is Gene Bruskin, co-founder of U.S. Labor Against the War (USLAW, www.uslaboragainstwar.org), an organization consisting of some 200 labor affiliates. Mr. Bruskin, a highly inspirational speaker, will discuss the relationship of war and inequality in the U.S. He will talk from a highly personal viewpoint, sharing stories from his wide experience in both union and peace organizing.

There is a suggested donation of $25 for the luncheon, but pay what you can. All proceeds from the luncheon will support a project of Women for Afghan Women, one that Peace Action Montgomery coordinator Jean Athey saw when she visited Kabul recently and will briefly describe.

Lebanese Taverna is catering, and there will be vegetarian options. You will have the opportunity to purchase handicrafts from Afghanistan to benefit girls' schools and women's coops.

Please come and invite your friends!! But, very important: you need to RSVP so that the organizers can ensure that there is enough food. Just send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and say you intend to come to the peace luncheon. Do it today, as space is limited!

Sponsored by Peace Action Montgomery, Pax Christi, and the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville

AUUC Leadership Transition Workshop: May 22nd 12 pm to 6 pm

Join us for an afternoon focused on our Senior Leadership at Accotink Unitarian Universalist Church. We will explore roles and responsibilities, create working group covenants, and develop direction for the year ahead. The presence of the following folks is expected:
All 2010-2011 Board Members and Council Members
All 2011-2012 Board Members and Council Members
Cluster Reps and Committee Chairs are expected to attend. Please send a representative from your group if you are unable to attend. Lunch will be provided.

nUUners May Meetings

This popular AUUC informal discussion group meets the second and fourth Mondays of the month in the church gallery at 11:15 a.m. We bring bag lunches and enjoy desserts provided by members of the group. The discussion on a topic of interest is led by the program leader for the day. All are invited to come and participate. Members all help set up and prepare for the event and help clean up. We share camaraderie and lunches until 12 noon, at which time our program begins. Our programs in May are as follows:

May 23 John Allen will discuss "Introduction to Anarchy," a subject that interests him greatly and on which he has many ideas to share. John also will bring the goodies for the day.

Needlework Circle in May

You can help us prepare a few items for the church auction in the fall of 2011, or bring your own hand work. We meet most Tuesday mornings in the AUUC gallery. For occasional e-mails reminders/cancellations or notification of needlework events in this area, contact Marsha White.

May 24: 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.; May 31: no meeting

Future Announcements and Other Information

Spirit in Practice Group

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. Our Wednesday morning Spirit in Practice group will offer a forum for learning, sharing, and growth that will enrich your faith journey.

With Sarah Edelson Baskin, Wednesdays, June 1 & 15

Coffee Connections: A monthly gathering for adults with disabilities to meet their neighbors and learn what's happening in the Braddock District. The first gathering of Coffee Connections will be held on Friday, June 10, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Braddock Hall, 9002 Burke Lake Road. The Fairfax County Park Authority will give a presentation on accessibility and accommodations at the Braddock Nights summer musical performances. Coffee Connections is sponsored by Supervisor John C. Cook, Saxby's, SPARC, Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and Department of Family Services. Future gatherings will occur on the third Friday of each month. For more information, contact Ann Sharp at 703-425-9300.

Sacred Circle Dance Canceled for May
The next Sacred Circle Dance will be the second Saturday in June 11. In July and August, Circle Dance will take a break for the summer and resume in September. Contact Judy Robison if you have any questions.

Drumming Circle Open to All

How can we use sound energy from the drum to create rhythms that restore and realign the mind, body and spirit? Find the rhythm of your heart at Accotink's Drumming Circle, which meets Sunday, June 19, at 4 pm in the sanctuary. The facilitator is Brian Lewis, an experienced drummer who welcomes all beginners. (Drums are available to those who don't have an instrument.) It's free and open to everyone, so bring your friends and neighbors. For more information, contact Judy Robison.

June 20, Newsletter Deadline

Book Discussion Group
The next discussion on June 20 will be on The Help by Kathryn Stockett, with Mary Kringer as host.
In the May and June meetings, the group will also be voting on book selections and will consider changing the monthly meeting day for the 2011-2012 reading calendar. Please contact Judy Robison with your suggested titles or for more information.

Looking for more community at Accotink... join an Accotink Extended Family! What's an Extended Family? An Extended Family is a small group of ten to twelve Accotink people who get together monthly or bimonthly for fun and talk and good food. Extended Families get together for picnics and visit to art museum or concerts or go on fall leaf walks together. They have potlucks or cook together. They laugh and sing and dance. Sometimes they just sit down together. People in extended families call each other when they're sad or happy or when they need help. Extended Families have children and grandparents and parents and aunts and uncles and teenagers, too. Everybody is welcome. Talk to Diana Wilson if you are interested in joining an Accotink Extended Family

EScrips If you use a loyalty card at Safeway, ShopRite, or other major stores, take a few minutes to tie your card to benefit AUUC. It is an easy, onetime step that can raise money for the church at no cost to YOU! http://www.escrip.com/ Group ID: 1045380

REMINDER that AUUC is a "peanut free" building. If people want to bring nut breads, chocolates, or other food with peanuts to the auction winners at AUUC they must be exchanged and stored outside of the building. We have posted and announced that we are a "peanut free" building and we can't be ignoring that and bringing peanuts and products with peanuts inside AUUC. This raises not only health issues, but liability issues. Your assistance will be deeply appreciated.

Honoring our 30th Anniversary

As we reach our 30th Anniversary in 2010, the Endowment and Bequest Committee wants to remind everyone of our "30/30 Challenge"! This initiative was launched to inspire members and friends to make additional contributions to the AUUC Endowment Fund, to total at least $30,000, as a unique way to honor of AUUC's founding as a congregation 30 years ago. The Endowment and Bequest Committee wants to thank everyone who has generously invested in the future of our church. We are getting closer to our December 2010 goal!

A public display of all past and present contributions to the AUUC Endowment Fund Giving Circles has been installed in the foyer entrance, to coincide with AUUC's August 2010 anniversary. Giving Circles, named for significant male and female UU's, note contributions that meet specific minimum donation tiers. Contributions to the Endowment Fund can be made to honor individuals, an event, or even anonymously. The Endowment display reflects contributions received to date, but will be revised to reflect additional contributions in the future as well.

Please remember that a gift to the Endowment Fund truly keeps on giving! For more information, contact any member of the Endowment and Bequest Committee: Ann Smith, Chair; Ed Jaffee, Sally Wilklow, Ray Burmester and Pam Cox.

Check out the new website of the Burke/West Springfield Senior Center Without Walls (BSSCWoW) at: http://scwow.org. A list of spring classes and activities – scheduled to start in early April – will be posted on the website in the near future. For more information, call (703) 250-9181.

Fairfax County's Volunteer Solutions program needs volunteers to help older adults with transportation to medical appointments. Contact 703-324-5406, TTY 703-449-1186 or www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dfs/olderadultservices and link to Volunteers. Volunteer Solutions is part of the Department of Family Services' Division of Adult and Aging Services.

Local farmers food now delivered at our church! How can you easily find nutrient-dense food, support your local economy, have delicious food choices, help control global warming, promote food-safety, spend less time on grocery shopping, protect small farming, and build community? Farmer Girls, LLC has made it simple to be this good by creating an online farmers' market which delivers fresh local food to savvy local people. At www.FarmersOnlineMarket.net you can read about the farmers you are purchasing from and learn about their healthy methods of raising food and animals. Registration is now open for delivery to our Church! Customers can order from Sunday afternoons (1 pm) till Wednesday mornings 8 am and the products will be delivered on Thursday afternoons at 4:00 p.m. When you order select Burke for drop of point.

Please check the 2011 Flower Chart posted in the gallery. Pick a date when you would like to bring flowers for Sunday service to honor, remember or celebrate a person, a date or a special event.