The Flame

Early April 2003

All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church of Kansas City, Missouri

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Good News Celebrations

We celebrate how our community
comes together in times of concern
to support each other.

—Joan Olsen's outstanding work setting up ushering teams that has raised enough money to cover all of the church's costs to send our participants to Midwest Leadership School this summer.

—A new All Souls banner appearing on the southeast corner of 45th and Main. Thanks to PeaceWorks for paying for the license and installation and Jim Mitchell for painting the banner.

—Joan Olsen again, for her work in keeping things running smoothly at the Midsize Congregation Conference.

—The strong enrollment in the upcoming New Member class.

—The Coming of Age class raised over $500 in its initial fundraising effort, the Sunday Plus brunch/lunch/box lunch.

—Our being more than halfway to our goal, after the kickoff weekend of our annual pledge drive.

—Nick and Jean Francis, with our thanks for their effort in organizing the pledge dinner.

Service Schedule 8:45 am and 11:15 am

March 30: Lincoln Speaks to Our time Jim Mitchell

Sharing Lincoln’s wit and wisdom in a time of national crisis.

April 6: What Do They Deserve? - Jim Eller

What should children in our culture expect? What is the ethical treatment of children? Can we help prevent child neglect or child abuse? What do child friendly cultures offer their families?

April 13: One More Step Toward "Everyday is Earth Day" - Jim Eller

How do we live more sustainably? What does it mean to live our UU "Seven Principle, support for the Interdependent Web, of which we are a part?" Let sing for the beauty of the earth and recommit ourselves a new.

April 20: Easter: the Cosmic Egg - Jim Eller

Eggs are the seeds of life. At Easter we look to the mythical bunny and a host of other images and stories about life's abundance and the promise of Spring. Note: Our church Easter egg hunt and potluck brunch will be from 9:45-11:15

Forum Schedule 10:00 am

Mar. 30: Advocacy Lessons Learned in the Fight for Reproductive Rights - Erika Fox

The recently retired Vice President for Public Policy at Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri will offer guidelines for advocacy applicable to a variety of issues, based on her own legislative and related experiences.

April 6: Homeland Security & Immigration: Making Enemies at Home / Abroad - Howard Eisberg

Attorney Howard Eisberg, immigration law specialist, will discuss the increasing pressure on immigrants, immigration lawyers, and citizens easily mistaken for immigrants.

April 13: An Ecological Framework for Our Future - Wes Jackson

An internationally known agricultural researcher and ecologist and co-founder of the Land Institute will discuss the implications for agriculture and society of using an ecological rather than technological basis for sustainability.

April 20: Federal Drug Conspiracy Sentences and Their Impact on Families - Melissa Mummert and Christel Webb

The speakers are our intern minister and the mother of a woman serving a long sentence for a minor role in a drug situation.

Minister’s Considerations: A Moving Target

As I write this note to you, we have declared war but have not yet acted. Things move so fast and our normal means of communication, our newsletter, moves at its rather slow and preordained pace.

It is hard to know where you, our reader, will be when you read this letter. The war could be over by the time you get this. It could be that we have not yet invaded. It is remotely possible that Saddam Hussein and his sons will have left Iraq, although I doubt it. We could be right in the middle of horrors as yet unimagined. I pray for peace, and if the war is proceeding I pray for a minimum of casualities for both sides.

No matter what the nature of one’s politics, war is a tragedy. War is a failure of the human imagination and represents the loss of life and of human creativity. There are almost always alternatives to war yet unexplored.

Certainly lives have been put in harm's way. Those who die are often innocent bystanders. War is not “green.” The animals and the environment are put at risk if not destroyed. Factories are turned into furnaces of destruction rather than springboards for greater ingenuity and service.

Homes are turned from love and companionship to fear, anxiety, and even horror and grief. War is a tragedy. I lament our losses and the losses for those called our “enemies.”

As a result of our invasion, I expect our government to bring forward the proof of weapons of mass destruction. I expect our government to share with us those things that were so secret that they were not in a position to share before the invasion.

I expect our government to work to repair the damages we have caused to Iraq and to the United Nations. I expect our government to work for multinational cooperation in rebuilding Iraq and the Middle East.

I am hopeful that a democracy will be established in Iraq. I hope that the people of Iraq who have suffered under Saddam Hussein and our U. S.-led sanctions will receive the humanitarian aid they so desperately need. And I pray that we will take our responsibilities very seriously.

Lifespan Religious Education

Egg hunt & Easter brunch

Please bring child-friendly brunch food and join us 9:45-11:15am Sunday, Mar. 30, as we celebrate spring and honor the Christian line of our heritage. No Sunday school classes. Children/teens please bring baskets or bags to gather plastic eggs.

Sunday School Update

Music, music, music with Jane Gilbreath continues through mid-April for K-4th grades. All ages will soon look at our seventh UU principle, the Web of Life. Kathy Burns has been leading all classes in a major art project. Watch for it as the last pieces come together (each class had one or more parts to create.) Our high school students visited the Country Club Congregational Church. John Blevins visited the 7th & 8th grade class. Karen Medhi and Jo Maxwell visited the 5th & 6th grade class. John and Karen talked about the use of democracy in our congregation. Jo talked about her civil rights and social justice work over many years. Thanks to everyone who has brought their special gifts to our classes.

Book discussions in April

Being Liberal in an Illiberal Age by Jack Mendelsohn, starting April 7 for 5 Mondays, and Walden by Henry David Thoreau, with the companion volume Thoreau as Spiritual Guide, starting April 23 for six sessions.

New adult class

Starting April 14 for five Mondays, Articulating Your Faith. This is a new course/workbook from the UUA and will be taught by our ministerial intern, Melissa Mummert.

Language of Myth class

Starting April 16 for five Wednesdays explore the work of Joseph Campbell with this excellent curriculum developed by UU minister Ted Tollefson. Led by All Souls member, Bruce Leeson, a psychologist with extensive background in the study of myth, including studies at the Jungian Institute in Zurich.

Spring (Easter) Candy

Donations of candy may be placed in the box in the lobby. The Easter bunny will use it to help create our annual egg hunt. Thank you for helping to create springtime smiles.

Volunteers needed in LRE

There's a place for everyone in LRE. Call the LRE office for more information.
1) Sitters at the LRE table in Conover Sunday mornings.
2) Office filers.

High school age?

Join us Sundays at 5pm for two hours of peer fun. Call Allison in the LRE office for more information.

Lock-in thanks

Thank you, to all of the adults who made the two recent lock-ins a success. Dick Dawson, Megan Kraus, Lon Swearingen, Carolyn Pajor, Jim Neal, Mike Hartnett, and Ellie Dawson. Great fun was had by many of our high school and middle school students (not to mention a few lessons learned.)

Coming of Age

The newest Coming of Age group thanks everyone who supported them in their first fund-raiser. Two other firsts came their way recently: they met with their mentors for the first time and had their first lock-in. Visiting directors of religious education were in the building as the students and mentors met. The DREs commented to us that they were impressed by how happy everyone was while still focusing on the work of the program. Coming of Age is a two-year program for students entering adolescence. If you have a student in 7th or 8th grade please contact the LRE office to learn about enrolling in this enrichment program.

Books for families

Our church library offers a large selection of books to help families look at a variety of issues. Children's books include picture books with a lot of detail suitable for older students, along with the more common kind of picture books. Some books are especially for parents. Check them out.

Coming in June:

Emerson as Spiritual Guide, a new UUA course, and another Building Your Own Theology weekend retreat.

What in the World

This is a last Sunday of every month program where we discuss and share information about what the Unitarian Universalists are doing around the world. We use the UU WORLD magazine as a starting point. If you turn to the back of the magazine you will find a guide to each issue labeled "What in the World".

Given the current world situation it seems inevitable we will be focusing on the Middle East and what we as UUs can do. If you would like to help lead this discussion or have questions please contact Walt Wells at walterWwells@aol.com.

Other Church News

Neighborhood Clean-Up - Sunday, April 27

Mark your calendars for what should be an exciting event in the life of our church! Members of All Souls and the Southmoreland Neighborhood Association are organizing a neighborhood clean-up. Look for more details in the next issues of the Flame. If you would like to help organize the event, contact Melissa Mummert 816-531-2131 ext. 102.

Watercolors up for April

Opening Sunday, March 30 at the Unitarian Gallery is an exhibition of impressionistic watercolor paintings by Ellen Woodward Henry. A free public opening reception for the artist will be held 1-3pm Sunday March 30.

The artist’s subject matter includes the human form and nature, sometimes highly abstracted, creating the feeling of the subject she is working with. She has a B.F.A. in painting from the University of Kansas and has completed graduate work at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Her paintings will be on display 9-5 weekdays and 9-2 Sundays. - Kristy Peterson

Parking alternatives exist

All Souls does not have a big enough parking lot to accommodate everyone Sunday mornings. The good news is that we have several other alternatives, and we encourage people, especially able-bodied people without little kids or lots of stuff to carry in, to use them before our lot is full.

We'll soon have a bike rack. Car parking spaces are on both sides of the church, in the Marriott Hotel indoor lot accessible by the loading dock on 45th Street. Or try the lot of the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art when the Museum is closed (Sundays before 11am and after 5pm, so its good for the early service).

Other parking spaces are in the lot at 44th & Warwick, north of the Kemper Museum, and in the Kansas City Art Institute lot east of the church on Warwick. Please do not park in the lot of the Four Points Barcelo Sheraton Hotel. - Terry Wiggins, Communications and Membership Administrator

When is Flame deadline?

The deadlines are 9am the first and third Tuesdays of each month. Any deadline change will be announced in the prior two issues. A Flame issue will normally cover the weeks of the second, third, and fourth Sundays following the deadline.

New members as of March 16, 2003

Sandra Chance, a mother of two children, Andrew and Sean, has been attending with her friend, Bob Spalding, coming from St. Joseph. She is from a strong liberal background and is happy to have found communion with others with liberal religious values. Her son Andrew says he likes coming here because there are books. She likes coming here because there are people who read and think.

Scott Gregory is a Texan, Eagle Scout, Rice University alumnus, Cherokee, husband to Waynell Gregory for 41 years, father of two daughters and grandfather of five. In addition to his CPA practice in Kansas City, he teaches tax and accounting at Johnson County Community College and serves as City Councilman in Roeland Park. Scott says “Waynell and I ride our tandem bike in the MS 150 each year. Some of you are among our contributors; now I can solicit the rest of you.” Scott says that he is not exactly a new member of All Souls, rather a recycled member. He was a member (and Treasurer) during the early 90's. “It’s good to be back,” he says.

Tim Hodges was born in Huntsville, Alabama. He has been in practice as a vascular surgeon in Kansas City since 1997. He and his wife, Kappy Hodges, were married in 1995, and live in KCMO hear Liberty. Kappy “retired” from a sales management/marketing career when they moved to KC in 1997 so she could work on a new and more important job: becoming a mom. Their son Baker, was born in 1999 has been her career since then. She is also a “dog person” and holds an obedience title with one of her beagles, named “Paris.”

Nathaniel Johnson is a former marine who was raised Wiccan. He loves cooking, gardening, and reading. He lives in a dynamic community in KCK surrounded by many cultures, religions, and social circles.

Robert Spalding is a mechanical designer who lives in St. Joseph. He has been searching for a spiritual home for a long time, and believes he has found it here.

Mark Van Order is a transplant from the “Flower City,” Rochester, NY, now living in Overland Park. Music has always been a guiding force in his life. It was music that brought him to All Souls, where he found a home and a family. He currently works part-time as the Kitchen Processing Manager for a local organic farm.

Small ministry circles

Small Group Ministry at All Souls UU Church is our way of connecting members, friends, and newcomers in intimate circles for sharing, learning, and growth. Ministry circles are groups of five to nine people who meet twice monthly, usually at the church. Each meeting is intended to deepen our sense of community and to open us to the unfolding meaning of our lives. New members are currently being added to groups. If interested, please fill out the form on the bulletin board by the drinking fountain and place it in Small Group Ministry's mail slot. - Beth Andes

Wednesday dinners

The time for good food -- good friends -- good funds (donated to your favorite church!)

Every Wednesday 5:30 - 6:30 in Conover Cafe'. Please check the weekly menu on all the doors as you enter Church on Sunday or in your Monday email. Remember to reserve your place by calling Terry in the office! See YOU there. Chloe Mason Seagrove

Church garage sale Apr. 10-12

“Church members only” preview is 6-8pm Thursday. Admission costs $5, but you get a $5 credit to use on the things you buy. For the public, it’s 9-6 Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12.

Help us to recycle everyone else's good old stuff. Sale posters will be available at the church for you to pick up and post wherever you go.

Let us help you recycle and downsize. Bring in everything you no longer want to keep and we'll try to find someone who wants to keep it. The donations may be placed in the storage container in the church parking lot. A key may be checked out from the church office when the office is open, and the container will be open every Sunday morning. Call Walt Wells for assistance in moving or unloading.

Reminder: Help us help you

The Communications Committee is still seeking input from Church committees and groups. We want to know how we can help your group publicize All Souls activities and principles to those beyond our membership who might want to join us. We have developed a simple questionnaire to get your feedback. Copies of the questionnaire were emailed to staff, Board and committee chairs last week. Please take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire. If you need a copy of the questionnaire, contact Erika Fox, foxyfizz@aol.com.

Green Corner: Farmers Exhibition 2003, March 29, Kansas City, MO

Hosted by the Kansas City Food Circle, this event is designed to give people the opportunity to buy locally grown, organic foods and plants and learn about sustainable agriculture and gardening. A directory of local organic producers including stores that carry their products will be available. Stan Slaughter, Eco-Troubadour, will provide entertainment. The exhibition will take place Saturday, March 29, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Barstow School Gym, 11511 State Line Road, Kansas City, MO. Free admission and parking. For more information call (913) 334-0556. Please talk to Green Sanctuary Committee members Larry Falkin, Kathy While, and Bruce and Terry Wiggins for more information on Community-Supported Agriculture services in Kansas city. - Terry Wiggins, Green Sanctuary Committee

World hunger alert Apr. 14

James T. Morris, executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme and U.N. General Secretary Kofi Annan's Special Envoy on Humanitarian Needs in Southern Africa, will speak at All Souls Church on the pressing need for governments and individuals to increase support for world food aid initiatives. The World Food Programme is the world's principal distributor of emergency food aid. In 2001, the WFP provided emergency food aid to more than 77 million persons in 82 countries.

Morris directs a worldwide staff of 2,500, 90% of whom are in the field providing aid directly to those most in need. He says the HIV/AIDS crisis is sowing the seeds for future famines in Africa, where the people require food and medical aid to avert disaster. - Sara Pedram

Bridge

April bridge on April 11 at 7:30pm will be held at the home of Don Lyon and Dee Smith.

Construction starts April 5

For more than 12 years members of All Souls and other religious congregations have been coming together some Saturdays under the banner of Harmony in a World of Difference to build a Habitat for Humanity home in our community. All Souls members have helped build and raise funds for more than 15 new homes, and individual members have worked on more than 50 homes.

On Saturdays April 5 and 12, the construction experienced among us are welcome to help as we frame in the walls, floors, and the roof for the new home. It will be in the 3300 block of Highland just about a block from the first home we as a congregation helped build about 12 years ago.

Other currently scheduled dates for our church members to work include May 10 and June 21. Other dates will be announced later. A sign-up sheet will appear at church or you may call Walt Wells.

Many of this year's Coming of Age mentors and mentees will be involved so the work slots may fill rather quickly. And there is also a need for people to volunteer to provide lunch once or twice this year. Call Walt Wells if you would like to do this.

Music around All Souls

Friday, March 28 the All Souls CoffeeHouse presents David Blythe, singer/songwriter at 7:30. Admission is free, but a contribution of food for Harvesters Food Bank is appreciated.

A regular at many venues in the city, David Blythe has performed at the All Souls open mic before. The rest of the evening is the open mic for music and the spoken word, inexpensive refreshments, table games, conversation and lots of coffee. We welcome children. This is a family and friends type event. For more info contact David Hakan at DavidHakan@kc.rr.com.

Autoharp event Mar. 29

If you play, want to play, own, like to listen to, or are in anyway interested in autoharps you are invited to drop by and meet many others from the region 1-5pm Saturday, March 29. For more information contact Caron Wells or Michelle Krajewski or Roseann LaMartina Brostoski.

Music jams 7-9pm Thursdays

Remember the every-Thursday evening music jams. We have been averaging 7 or 8 players every time. Some of us really are beginners trying to get better playing with people who know better. Just bring your voices, your music, and an instrument if you play one.

Denominational and District Information

Delegates need credentials

If you are planning to attend the PSD meeting or the General Assembly, please apply to the Denominational Connections through Joan Olsen for your credential. More info about GA is on the bulletin board outside the Library, or visit www.uua.org.

Jazz trio 4/12 at SMUUCh

The Eldar Djangirov Jazz Trio plays at 7pm April 12 at Shawnee Mission U.U. Church. Members of All Souls are urged to buy tickets in advance since the UUA media campaign will advertise this beginning March 31. Contact Ted Thompson or SMUUCh, 913-381-3336. Email: office@smuuchurch.org for tickets at $12.50. The concert is also mentioned on www.smuuchurch.org.

UU World on audio tape

People who are blind or have other sight disabilities can get the UU World on tape 6 times a year. Check with the individual to be sure he or she is interested. They need to have access to a 4-track audio cassette player as these tapes are recorded on a 4-track recorder/player.

If they would like to receive the tapes and have the correct player, send their name and address, via email or postal mail to:
Rachael Brown, Lifespan Faith Development, Unitarian Universalist Association, 25 Beacon Street, Boston, MA, 02108 or contact 617-948-6454 or rbrown@uua.org.

Asian/Pacific Islander UU Caucus

(Los Alamos, NM) -- For the first time in UU denominational history, a group of 17 Asian/Pacific Islander UUs from around the country gathered in Berkeley, CA from Feb. 28 through Mar. 2 to organize and develop plans for giving greater visibility and representation of Asian and Pacific Islander UUs in UU faith communities.

The event took place at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists facility, partially funded by the Identity-Based Ministries staff group of the UUA, and culminated in a Sunday morning worship service entitled "Asian Unitarian Universalist Voices & Visions."

The fledgling organization came away, after an energizing and intensive weekend, with a name, an acting steering committee of seven, an organizational structure, several programs to be offered at the 2003 General Assembly in Boston, and many action items for the next year. The new organization will be known as the Asian/Pacific Islander Caucus (A/PIC) and is an affiliate of DRUUMM. (Diverse and Revolutionary UU Multicultural Ministries). The acting steering committee is working on developing a vision statement, covenantal statement with DRUUMM, a web site (http://apiuu.org) and membership definition. A mailing list on yahoogroups has been active for the past two years.

If you are or know of a UU of Asian/Pacific Islander ancestry, or consider yourself an ally, and would like to join the A/PIC mailing list, please contact: listmanager@apiuu.org. - From uua-l

Care about UUA activities?

A committee is forming with a view to urging the UUA to open its processes so members of our congregations know what committees are doing and what issues are pending. If you would like the full report on this subject, send an email to agate@alumni.brown.edu. - from PR-L

Help needed in hospice

Be a good neighbor to a terminally ill person. Volunteers needed to visit 3-4 hours a week to give the caregiver a much-needed break or be a friendly companion to a patient in a nursing home. Read, share a hobby, converse, or write a letter. Volunteers also needed to provide transportation or to run errands. Special skills from attorneys, beauticians, massage therapists and notaries also helpful. Kansas City Hospice will provide a 4-day training on April 7, 9, 16, and 23 at Providence Medical Center in Kansas City, KS. For more information or to make reservations for the training, call Kathy Fetters at 816-363-2600 x244.

All Souls is a UUA Annual Program Fund Honor Society.