June 5 Service: Guest Speaker

"Loving Faith

Adopt-a-Highway; Outreach Sunday; Brown Bag Bible Study

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:

June 5

Loving Faith

Join a special guest as together we explore how to increase our love and how to make those who visit our church fall in love with our mission and vision, compelling them to join us.

Outreach Sunday

June 12

RE Service and Flower Communion

Rev. Scott Sammler-Michael

Inquirer's Class, and our ANNUAL PICNIC!

June 19

The Beauty of Summer

Rev. Scott Sammler-Michael

Join Rev. Scott, his brother Dan, the AUUC Choir and the Sacred Wheel as we sing songs about summer and the coming of the Solstice in a special earth-based "worship in the round" honoring

the Earth's beauty and the coming of Summer.

AUUC Choir

June 26

Watch "This Week at Accotink" for details.

This Week's Calendar

Saturday, June 4

Adopt-a-Highway

Sunday, June 5

10:00 a.m. Worship Service

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

11:30 a.m. RE Celebration Service Rehearsal

noon Brown Bag Bible Study

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!

June 5th Outreach Sunday Benefits Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program

Amazing things happen every day at the Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program (NVTRP). Children in wheelchairs gain strength and balance, adults with autism gain language and social skills, recovering military service personnel find relaxation and confidence, along with numerous other benefits to all individuals -- all through the power of the horse. With equine assisted activities, people of all ages with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities are able to participate in a challenging, physically active sport that benefits the body and mind. For more information, visit www.nvtrp.org On June 5, please contribute in the Outreach Collection basket, or mail your tax-deductible check to the AUUC office, payable to: AUUC with "Outreach-NVTRP" on the memo line. Thank you!

RE Celebration Service Rehearsal Sunday, June 5

All RE Participants and Teachers please plan to attend the brief RE Celebration Service Rehearsal on Sunday, June 5 at 11:30 am.

All Children and youth participants are encouraged to be present this Sunday in order to help prepare and present the worship service on June 12. Roles will be assigned this Sunday. Parents, please plan to attend!

Needlework Circle this Summer

Get an early start on handcrafted holiday gifts, preparing an item for our AUUC fall auction, or working on your own project. 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.

June 7: no meeting

June 14: 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

June 21: 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

June 28: 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

July-August: no meetings; have a fun summer!

Summer Religious Exploration

This Summer we will kick off our Faith Activities using Heifer international's "Animal Crackers". "Animal Crackers" will help us explore our connections to people and animals who share our Earth home. Parents of participants will need to help lead programs for 4-14 year olds. Materials and hands on support will be provided. Please use the summer registration form or visit www.SignUpGenius.com/go/summer355 to let us know when you will help.

Future Announcements and Other Information

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.

Be Part of AUUC Participation in Capital Pride Parade & Festival: June 11 & 12 AUUC is joining with other area UU congregations to participate in the Capital Pride Parade and Festival on June 11th and 12th. The Pride Parade steps off on Saturday, June 11th at 5:30PM from DuPont Circle in DC. Parade assembly is at 4:45PM and based on last year, we anticipate assembling at 23rd and M Streets (once known, we will forward the exact location). We will have the AUUC banner for our group and participants are encouraged to wear either Standing on the Side of Love t-shirts (available on line at ww.sslonlinestore.com) or our own congregational t-shirts, if you have them. If you don't have them, you can still participate!

The Festival occurs June 12 on Pennsylvania Avenue between 3rd and 7th Streets NW. We will be part of a UU booth on Sunday, exact location still to be determined. We will set up the booth from 8:00 – 10:00AM, and the festival runs from 11:00AM to 6:00PM.

If you would like to participate in the parade on the 11th or volunteer for the booth on the 12th, please e-mail John Allen ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), Dick Foster ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Ed Kringer ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

RE Celebration Service, Flower Communion & Annual All Church Picnic, June 12

During this RE Celebration Service, Children & Youth RE Participants will lead the Worship Service. All church members and friends are encouraged to attend as we celebrate the young members and the wonderful teachers in our church. This year's service will highlight "Heart Talk For Kids" our spring curriculum on Peace and Nonviolence. The service will also include presentations from our preschool and middle school participants. Graduating High School participants will be recognized. Our service will include our annual Flower Communion. Please bring a flower for each person attending to contribute to this special UU ritual. Everyone is invited to join us for our Annual All Church Picnic after the service. We hope to see you for this wonderful celebration of our church community.

Please use the list below as a guide for what you may bring to share:

Last name begins with Bring: A-H Main Dish; I-O Side Dish; P-S Dessert; T-Z Drinks

nUUners Meetings in June

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

June 13 - This is our annual Staff Appreciation Meeting where we invite our minister, the office staff, choir director, and pianist to join us for lunch and a recognition of their service to our congregation. Members are asked to bring a salad, dessert, fruit, or snacks to share. Come join us as we salute our staff.

June 27 - Ellen Fischer will present a program on humor. What are the various forms of humor? What is funny and witty and what is not? Are we too serious these days? Join us and share your thoughts. Ellen will also furnish the goodies for the meeting.

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, Wednesday, June 15

Friday Night Film Series on Friday, June 17

"Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet"

Doors open at 7 p.m.; film begins at 7:30 p.m.; a discussion follows the film

On Sunday, June 19 at 10 a.m., please join Rev. Scott, his brother Dan, the AUUC Choir and the Sacred Wheel as we sing songs about summer and the coming of the Solstice in a special earth-based "worship in the round" honoring the Earth's beauty and the coming of Summer.

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.