Join us if you are interested in becoming a member, in learning more about Unitarian Universalism and our congregation, or if you are an existing member who wants to meet newcomers and talk about the meaning of membership in our congregation. Sessions will be scheduled soon for the rest of the year. Please stop by the Welcome Table or contact John Hawkins, Membership Committee chair, if you would like to attend one of them. We look forward to seeing you!  

Congratulations from the Women's Alliance group to our two young women who are graduating from high school this year and will be going on to college: Kasey Neiss and Kate Sweeney. Women's Alliance is very pleased to recognize their accomplishments. They will be receiving a monetary gift from the group along with good wishes for success in this next important step of their lives.  

The Our Whole Lives (O.W.L.) for Adults class is underway, with Dan Zucker and Linda Goonewardene as co-teachers. Come to explore issues of human sexuality in a progressive, spiritual setting. Topics covered may include: Values, communication, spirituality, relationships, diversity, family, aging and health (not necessarily in this order.) Classes are held from noon to 2 p.m. in the Stevens Room.

Course schedule: April 27, May 25, June 29. Depending on interest and availability of space and participants, the class will continue through July and August on a bi-weekly basis.

Contact Dan and/or Linda for further information and to sign up.  

About four times a year twelve of us volunteer at the Fanwood Recycling Center and earn $625 each day we work which goes to help balance the church budget. The next scheduled date for FUSP at the Fanwood Recycling Center is July 19th from 8:45 AM to 1:00 PM. We need three more people to meet our quota. Please contact Fred Lange or Denise Soppas to volunteer. The next opportunity will be on August 2nd and for that date we need eight more people. It is also an easy way to have a personal impact on the environment and feel good about it!  

Join other women looking for a good time at UU Camp Ferry Beach in Maine, August 9-15, for the "In the Company of Women" summer conference. I attended last year and had such a wonderful time that I am going back this year to co-lead the "Discovering the Super Hero In You", creative arts workshop and lead some bike rides. Get information and register at www.ferrybeach.org. Register early to ensure your good time this summer. Questions? Ask me, Maryann Ficker. Lets get a car pool going.  

Due to popular demand, the Welcoming Congregation Committee will be continuing their monthly Friday night film/discussions during the summer months of July and August. Start time is 7 PM in the Stevens Room. Free popcorn and drinks provided and childcare is available if you call (908) 561-7654 by the Wednesday before.

July 25 we will be showing "The Celluloid Closet", a fun and often surprising look at lesbians and gays in the movies. From silents to the present cinema, gay men and women have been present and often they were hidden in plain view. Come join us to find out if Ben Hur was gay.

August 22 we will be showing "Imagine Me & You", a story of what happens when a woman in the midst of her own wedding, finds herself unexpectedly attracted to another woman. Explain that one to the relatives.  

Thank You to every member who completed the QUESTIONNAIRE. If you still have one, half completed on your desk, please finish it and give to Ralph Braskett or Sue Krisburg. If you don’t remember completing this form, you may have a form in your e-mail inbox. Please complete it, and send back to Sue. You can also ask us for a blank form to fill out.  

In June and July we can look forward to the creative visions of two of FUSP’s up and coming artists, Kasey Neiss and Kate Sweeney in a show entitled: K2. Kasey paints, draws and uses other mediums to express herself. Kate sees the worlds with the eyes of a photographer. Both are graduating high school seniors who will be continuing their artistic work in college. We are fortunate to have these two young women share their work with us from June 8 through July 13.

Please help celebrate Kate and Kasey’s artistic accomplishments during an opening reception on June 15, after the service.  

Our next monthly game night will be held at 7pm on June 6. We will probably take the summer off. We meet in the RE wing at FUSP, usually in the large room downstairs. Please bring a drink or snack to share and a favorite game or deck of cards or a friend. This is a great way to get to know new people and to know old friends better. All are welcome of all ages. For more information contact Heather Brown at heathbrown@aol.com

Several months ago, one of my friends was out riding with her 8 year old son, who suddenly wondered, "How come the road never ends?" The truth is that for some, the road often ends abruptly, and for others it goes on easily, without pain or problem. How might the road go for FUSP?

This will be a discussion service. Rev. Harry Green gave us some food for thought on this issue in his Memorial Day Service. This Sunday is our turn to respond with our ideas and feelings. We will also sing some patriotic songs.

Would you call yourself a creative person? What do you associate with creativity? This service will explore creativity on a personal level, and what it means in our daily lives.

We will once again have our ANNUAL SUMMER PICNIC on the beautiful front porch of the home of Gayle Jones and Al Alleman. It will be on Saturday, July 19th beginning at 11:00 am. Plan to bring a picnic dish such as salad, dessert, etc. We'll have a short meeting first and then enjoy a delicious lunch together. Please sign up in advance with Joan Sweet. All FUSP women are welcome. We look forward to seeing all of you there.

Our next regular meeting will be in September on our usual third Saturday. Mark your calendars now.

The rising economic and environmental impact of energy use can make us feel helpless, but there are actions – some little, some big – that each of us can do to make a difference. From "hypermiling" to installing solar panels, ideas that change how we use energy are giving us more choices for our immediate and long-term future.

How did you discover Unitarian Universalism? Or were you lucky enough to be born UU? Three of our members will tell us about their religious roots and growing pains. All the stories have happy endings!

The first day of August is the midpoint between Summer Solstice and the Fall Equinox. Many pagans marked this cross quarter holiday with a harvest festival celebrating the first cut of grain. The Celts called it Lughnasa after their harvest God Lugh. Medieval Christians adopted it as loaf-mass or Lammas. Join us as we celebrate with an intergenerational ritual including a short play, folk music, and fresh-baked bread.

Social awareness and action start at the grass roots, and with just as much pavement as grass in our neighborhood, we at FUSP acknowledge our presence in urban Plainfield. Yet how well do we know our community, and what truths and hopes do we share with our neighbors? This service will invite each of us at FUSP to consider the realities outside our church doors and how we as individuals and as a group can enrich our spiritual perspectives by engaging the people of our hometown, Plainfield.

Does it matter what we eat beyond the obvious implications for personal health? Can our food choices reflect our deeper values? We will examine some of the global and ethical issues related to the foods we eat with ideas to help us make our choices more conscientiously.

Core of Fire is an interfaith dance ministry made up of mature women, who use the healing power of dance to combine spiritual connection and creative movement into choreography that speaks to our deepest longings to express the awe, wonder and anguish of the life experience. Choreography by Dr. Carol Penn