Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration

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WORDS OF INSPIRATION

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

UPCOMING EVENTS

RECURRING EVENTS

NEWS AND INFORMATION

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS


Administrative Office Hours

Wednesday: 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
Thursday: 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
Friday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Email the Office
or phone 215-247-2561.

If you need to reach Desi
you can call or text her on her
cell at 267-595-3250 - 24/7.

Minister's Office Hours

Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday by Appointment

Email the Minister
or phone 806-786-9733.

This page lists events that occur at our facility. For other activities, please visit the
Events & Activites , Folk Factory, Greater Philly UU Cluster, and Social Justice pages.


Updated: Friday, November 1 —

Sunday services begin at 11 am in the sanctuary immediately followed by refreshments and conversation in our Fellowship Hall.
Both spaces are air conditioned in the summer for your comfort.

We are Accessible for those with Disabilities!

Restoration features a ramp to the main sanctuary level and a recently completed wheelchair lift and accessible restrooms on both the main and lower levels. CHECK HERE for photos.

WORDS OF INSPIRATION

Upcoming Worship Services

November's Theme is "Repair"


Sunday, November 3: "On Lineage, Repair, and Repentance: Service of Remembrance"
A follow-up service on Elizabeth Ann and Rev. McKinley's shared connection to the island of Antigua. From the island in the Caribbean, we'll explore what to do with this connection and what repair for each person looks like. Using Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg's text, we'll talk about making peace as a part of justice ethic and how we can use repair and repentance to move through. We also lift up those lives lost in our congregation over the past year, welcome new members, and work on incorporating repair into other parts of our social justice lives. November's worship theme is "Repair."

... Service of Remembrance - November 3 ...

Please bring photos/mementos - Our Annual service to honor those who have passed away in the last year will happen on November 3. Please bring a photo or memento of someone who has died in the past year to honor them on the memorial table. Photos can be emailed to Rev. McKinley to be printed out.

... New Member Ceremony November 3 ...

Interested in hearing more about membership?
Contact Rev. McKinley to set up a time to chat.

New members will be invited to sign the Membership Book
on Sunday November 3

Past services you wish to re-watch, are available HERE.

From Our Minister

Happy Halloween! Blessed Samhain!
Yall, I'm still floating through the air from last Sunday's service with music from Emma's Revolution. That was INCREDIBLE. Thanks so much to Holly Phares for pulling strings and moving mountains to bring that goodness into our sanctuary. I am truly grateful. If you missed them, I hope you'll see them in concert at our place this Sunday evening! WOW! Two concerts in a week? How blessed are we?

Speaking of blessings, we turn our eyes to family and ancestry again this weekend. In addition to the time change where we fall back one hour, we will spend some time on a Ritual of Remembrance for those who have died in the past year. Please feel free to bring photos, mementos, and names of loved ones who have died in the past year for us to honor and remember their blessed lives and memories this Sunday.

Finally, I know we're on the precipice of Election Day. If you haven't made a plan to

vote, please do so, and please contact us if you need help getting to the polling station, filling out your mail in ballot, or anything else.

Our intention this week is not to overwhelm you with focus on the Tuesday to come. We know what's at stake, and we know what has been asked of us. Now we wait. So, rather than waiting on anxiety, we are choosing to wait in hope and courage by doing what we do best: being together, singing and dancing, exploring our stories, and supporting one another.

Come be with us on Sunday if you need support. Come if you need a distraction. Come if you want to chat with others about what to do on Tuesday night. Come to be quiet and still. Come to sing and be with beloved community. It's all good and holy. You know where to find us.

Forward together, hand in hand. Let Love guide us and keep us in these days. See you soon.
Love,
Rev. McKinley

RE Corner with Elizabeth Ann

NOVEMBER THEME: REPAIR

Last week as we continued to explore the value of deep listening, in addition to listening and singing with Emma’s Revolution, we listened to the story of The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin.

With national election next week, we all have been fine tuning our listening skills and remembering that “Love is at the Center”. As we move into November the theme of Repair, we are encouraged to continue to listen deeply to those who might have a different ideas or values than ours.

What are your ideas about Repair? When I think about repair, I find joy in remembering my love of fiber arts. I learn how to sew on a treadle sewing machine like this one I loved the wonderful music that it made when sewing a long seam. Of course, I now have a modern electric sewing machine. However, I still have a treadle. It is a beautiful piece of furniture that is now a place where my television sits.

At home this week, I mended and repaired some clothing for my wife and myself. Mending, darning, and sewing on buttons, helps us in our commitment to recycle, repair, and re-use. What do you think of when you read or see the word repair. I would love to hear your reflections this week at church. This week, Rev. McKinley and I will further explore our intertwined lineages on the Island of Antigua. See you on Sunday!

In Faith and Love,
Elizabeth Ann
Director of Religious Exploration

to investigate past Religious Exploration activities...

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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

New Deadline for the Weekly eNewsletter

Articles for submission will be due a week before publication with clear “due by” dates.
Also, the newsletter now has its own email address for submissions and feedback. Please send anything you want to be put into the newsletter or anything newsletter-related to We look forward to hearing from you. O

Coping with the Stress of Election Week

In a time of high anxiety and stress, we can turn back to our spiritual practices to help ground us and reconnect us to ourselves, to God, and to each other. My colleague, the Rev. Laura Solomon, put these resources together for the week leading up to the election. I hope you find them as useful as I have, and I encourage you to take intentional time out of your day for prayer, meditation, silence, a walk in the sunlight, a massage, listening to calming music, or touching the grass of this good Earth to help alleviate some of that stress and anxiousness. I find deep breaths and humming to be particularly useful for me.

The link below, should open up a PDF, which will also be posted to our Facebook group. Please open, save, download, print out, whatever you need to do:

Calming, Reflecting, and Regulating Practices for Election Week

For those who want to pray with their feet, here's a few links to Philly area canvasses:

Y'all, we travel this road together, or not at all, so let's be kind to ourselves and help build the world we dream about. Please call/text me if you'd like to get together to discuss or share anything. I'm available!

Love,
Rev. McKinley

Coffee Hour this Sunday, November 3

We will have a coffee hour after the worship service, with beverages and snacks. A great way to hang out with old and new friends!

Curious about how hospitality works at UU Mt Airy? You can still join one of the 3 teams (serving a month at a time in sequence) and get the inside scoop on what we do. Just use this Google link to sign up for a team or look for team coordinators Steve, Rita, or Brenda at coffee hour.

Change for Change: November

November's Change for Change organization is Lighthouse Family Youth Agency. The mission of the Lighthouse Family Youth Agency (LFYA), located in Germantown, is to ensure that vulnerable youth gain stability in a nurturing and safe home environment by caregivers who can love and support them. LFYA began from a passion and a commitment to providing youth the security of knowing someone loves and cares about their well-being. LFYA is committed to providing temporary or long-term housing and care for girls until they can either successfully re-unite with their biological parents, receive permanent placement with a loving family and/or sustain self-sufficiency to live on their own. LFYA assists these girls with achieving developmental tasks, empowering them to achieve their goals for success in life and preparing them with the competencies, attitudes and confidence needed to become responsible, productive members of the community.

The Justice Council has established the following Guidelines for the recommendation and selection of an organization that will receive our monthly Change for Change Offering.

Linking to the Worship Service

Reminder that there are two ways to watch worship:
  1. Click the blue "Live Streaming" arrow on the homepage.
  2. The Zoom link has been changed because security protocols on their end. If you are a congregant of ours, check the weekly eNewsletter for the link and password.

Are you following UUs of Mt. Airy on Social Media?

Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/uumtairy/
Follow us on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/uumtairy/
    

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UPCOMING EVENTS

View Social Justice Events Here...

Sunday, November 3 —

Let's Make the First Sunday of Every Month
be a Souper Sunday!

Bring a can of soup (healthy and not expired) to our wonderful community fridge. If we all did this, we would really be helping our neighbors. Thanks!

Sunday, November 3 —

Emma's Revolution (Pat Humphries & Sandy O) at Folk Factory
Sunday, November 3rd @ 7:30pm

Folk Factory will have a concert by Emma's Revolution (Pat Humphries and Sandy O) on Sunday, November 3, starting at 7:30pm. Mark your calendars and tell your friends! For advance tickets, go to Folk Factory Coffeehouse. Donation will be $20-75, sliding scale (half at the door for low/no wage folks).

Tuesday, November 5 —

DRUUMM Election Evening On-Line Gathering Space
November 5, 2024, 8:00 - 11:00pm

DRUUMM is hosting a space for support and spiritual care on the evening of Election Day. We've designed this as a BIPOC-only brave space to share music, readings, poetry, prayers, meditations, etc., and to provide sustenance to each other. Please register and join us for any part of the time.

We also are seeking volunteers to facilitate and provide support for one-hour blocks of time. Please indicate your interest in the registration form.

This event is BIPOC-only, a sacred space reserved for those who identify as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color and UU or interested in Unitarian Universalism. DRUUMM recognizes every Community of Color is impacted differently, and each community maintains its own unique identity and culture. BIPOC/People of Color/Person of Color/Community of Color is a political identity of survival and being in resistance to racism and colonialism, one that builds solidarity and creates positive change.

Tuesday, November 5 —

Election Night Watch Party
Tuesday, November 5 at 8:30pm in Hale Lounge

Want to spend election night with others in our congregation? One of our Covenant Groups invites you to join them at around 8:30pm in Hale Lounge to watch coverage of the election results. We will have some snacks and lots of hopeful energy - please join us!

Friday, November 15 —

Crystal Bowl Sound Healing/Meditation
Friday, November 15 7:00-8:15pm in the Sanctuary

You are invited to experience a soothing and healing Crystal Bowl Sound Bath and Mediation in the sanctuary on Friday evening, November 15, led by Anne Johnson, an energy and sound healing artist and educator.

The soothing and expansive sound vibrations of the crystal bowls, combined with vocal soundings, balance and restore the mind and body at a cellular level and bring about a sense of peaceful presence and well-being.

Anne Johnson is the creator of Lotus Spiral Sound, which was born from her desire to go deeper into embodying the healing light/sound energy of Source. Anne's sound meditations bring together her Crystal Tones Alchemy Singing Bowl Orchestra with vocal sounding and 25 years teaching embodied presence and creative expression through the Alexander Technique. Anne is a graduate of The Sacred Science of Sound Crystal Alchemy Training with Jeralyn Glass. She completed Sounding Through the Chakras with Chloe Goodchild, as well as channeling and energy healing courses with her mentor, Susan Kennard. Anne has contributed her sound healing and vocal improvisations with Root, Group Motion, and Music in the Moment, and the Mt. Airy Learning Tree in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

This event is free, but a free will offering will be taken that will be split between the artist and a charity chosen by the congregation.
Questions? Contact Linda H


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RECURRING EVENTS

Newsletter Deadlines —

Deadline for the Weekly eNewsletter

Articles for submission will be due a week before publication with clear “due by” dates.
Also, the newsletter now has its own email address for submissions and feedback. Please send anything you want to be put into the newsletter or anything newsletter-related to We look forward to hearing from you.

Deadline for the Winter
Quarterly eNewsletter

Please send your articles to Jane H by
4:00 on Wednesday, November 20, 2024
for insertion in the quarterly eNewsletter.

Every Day —

Mt. Airy Pantry

Founded by two of our UUsMA members along with a life-long resident of East Mt. Airy, our Mt Airy Community Fridge affirms food as a right not a privilege and is founded on radical hospitality: We are all here to help each other. People that come to get food also often help stock and clean the shelves and break down boxes. Folks from the neighborhood as well as our congregation donate food. There are no requirements, no qualifiers. And we even compost! You can be a part of this wonderful project.

Volunteers are needed to pick up food from distribution sites, to help stock the shelves, to help bag bulk produce, and to help keep it clean. Meeting and helping neighbors, reaching out. What better way to live our values?

Pantry Wishlist (Drop off anytime):
canned goods
microwavable meals
shopping bags
cleaning supplies
plastic or paper grocery bags
* For composting: coffee grounded, newspaper, brown paper bags (Place these items in lower Pantry shelf with “Composting Materials” sign.)

Contributions particularly needed on Sundays and Mondays when there are no scheduled deliveries!

For information on how you can help support the Fridge and Pantry: Contact Laurie D, 215-514-7955 or Deb G, 412-600-9400

If you are interested in joining the team, fill out the VOLUNTEER FORM. We will keep you posted on new developments. You can or call Courtney at 610-731-9452. Also, be sure to follow us on Instagram @mtairyfridge. CLICK HERE for more specific information about contributions.

For more information, please visit our WEBSITE

Every Wednesday —

Soul Line Dance Classes

Every Thursday, 6 pm —

Join Us at Our Weekly Black Lives Matter Vigil every Thursday

Please join us to show our concerns about racism and white supremacy every Thursday. We line Stenton Avenue with our signs (and get tons of supportive honks) from 6-6:30pm, then join electronically with our vigil keepers at home to meditate, light candles, and share from 6:30-7pm.

Given the improved situation with the Corona Virus, we are now using Hale Lounge for the second half. It is suitable for the small number of in-person vigil keepers that we have had over the past years of COVID. We will continue to wear masks inside, spread out a bit and use our multiplatform format so folks can join us from near and far.

We always dress for the weather as we hold the vigil rain or shine. Remember to bring your face mask for the indoors portion, and, of course, you can continue to wear it outside if you wish. You are welcome to bring your own sign(s) but we have a supply that we bring outside each Thursday. Come and join us at 6 PM next Thursday!

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NEWS AND INFORMATION

Openings for New Participants in Covenant Groups!

A Covenant Group (small group ministry) is a group of usually 6-8 people in a congregation who get together to get to know each other and talk about themes that relate to the theme for the month of our Sunday worship services. We currently have a couple of active covenant groups. If you think you might be interested in joining an existing group or being part of a new group, please contact Rev. McKinley!

Pastoral Care Team Update

Each one of us can use some help and support at times in navigating life's ups and downs. Now there is an easy way to contact the Pastoral Care Team if you or someone you know needs a helping hand.

UUMtAiry has a convenient request/referral form that goes directly to Rev. McKinley and Care Team Coordinators. Within 24-48 hours a Care Team volunteer will acknowledge your request and have either the minister or a team member contact you. You can find the link to the request form below. Before contacting the Care Team, please keep the following in mind:

  • Pastoral Care contact is not counseling or therapy, nor should it be used for emergencies.
  • Requests for Care Team support is voluntary. If you are referring another person for follow-up, please speak to them and obtain permission to contact the Care Team.
  • If you prefer to contact Rev. McKinley directly, please call for an appointment at (806) 786-9733, or send email to him. to read more...

Have You Seen our Google Calendar?

We're working on making this ultra-functional. Soon, group leaders can add their classes, meetings, and notes to this calendar for easy access. Office hours, RE times, and maybe even worship topics will be listed as far in advance as we can make them. You can find the Monthly Meeting Calendar link at the bottom of every web page.

Or go to it directly below (bookmark with Ctrl+D or CMD+D):
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0/embed?src=minister@uumtairy.org&ctz=America/New_York

Ministerial Discretionary Fund

Any one who would like to donate to the emergency fund that goes towards our most vulnerable members can do so by sending in a check earmarked for "Min. Disc. Fund" or contacting McKinley directly to donate electronically. We have helped ease the strain of Covid-19 for some of our most directly impacted folks. Your donations go a long way, and offerings are always greatly appreciated.

Looking for the Latest Congregational Directory?

... directions to a friend's home, or your latest identified donation statement?

Find all this by clicking the DIRECTORY & CONTRIBUTIONS button at the right. From the ICON homepage, you can edit your own information (illustrated below on the left) or change your password on the Settings page (circled on the right).


If you attach a photo to an email and send it to either the Office or the Webmaster, we will be happy to add it to your profile.

Forgot your username or password?
Email the Office and request a new one.

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GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Hale Hall Doors

It is imperative that we remember that both front and back doors to Hale Hall remain locked at all times. This means even during meetings and Sunday services. Please do not let anyone into Hale Hall that you do not personally know is safe at any time. During services, all members, friends and congregants should come in the sanctuary door. Thank you for your cooperation.

Work Request Forms

If you are requesting work to be done, please complete the appropriate colored work request form located on the office door. Once your form is completed, place it in the bin labeled Administrative Assistant also hanging on the office door.

For those who do not frequently visit in person, you can send your request via email to the Administrative Office.

Pink - Request for Administrative Assistant
Yellow - Request for voucher check
Blue - Request for the sexton

Please Hang Up Your Coats

Do not leave your coats on the chairs in the Fellowship Hall or the pews in the Library. They take up valuable space that we need for seating during Coffee Hour. Please hang your coats on the rack in the hallway just outside the Fellowship Hall so that everyone can sit comfortably.
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