Church Notices
A note from the office:
Planning for the Christmas Eve Service
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES!!
Tuesday, December 25th at 6pm
🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲
We would like 1 or 2 more ushers to volunteer to pass out candles with the paper wax-catching disks, and the programs.
Someone to learn to run the slide projector for the hymns.
We will also need buckets of sand outside for collection of the hot candles.
If you can do this please let me know as soon as possible.
Thanks! Joanne Boyle 802-369-9838.
Thanks to Everyone Who Decorated the Sanctuary
Cliff, Kate, Elliot and Isla Johnson, Tatiana Lamia with Booie, Bodhi, Felix Williamson, Emily, Ellie and William Geiger and others were involved with cutting and trimming the tree.
The tree was donated once again by Donna and John Atwood.
Molly and John McHugh donated the poinsettias.
Molly also decorated the window sills with candles and boughs from the tree.
🌲🌲🌲We appreciate all of your time and talent! 🌲🌲🌲
You Can Participate in the End of the Year Service
"Holding On and Letting Go"
Sunday, December 29, 2024 at 10:00 am
Spirit of life and love; spirit of holding on; spirit of letting go: help us to attune to what our lives whisper to us—both the sweet words of commitment and the sweet words of release. Help us to know whether it’s a time to hold tightly, or a time to let go. Help us to learn that in each moment, there is beauty. (A. Poppei)
Our service on December 29, 2024 will celebrate the ending of one challenging year and the beginning of the next.
On the cusp of this New Year, what can you share about holding on or letting go?
We welcome 4 or 5 participants who would like to find a reading, or poem, or share your original words.
Please see Mary Blanton, Diane Mellinger, Anne Macksoud, Anne Marinello, Dave Cook, Hope Yeager or Jayne Hufferdine if you'd like to be a part of this service.
Unsung Hero Awards
At our annual meeting in January it is North Chapel tradition to acknowledge and honor people within our church community who contribute their time and talents in so many ways.
If you would like to nominate someone who works quietly behind the scenes, or tirelessly on a particular project, or someone who volunteers their time on a regular basis - please send their name and the reason they should be recognized as an Unsung Hero
to Joanne Boyle in the office by 1/12/25. Thank you!
Pledge Drive Reminder!
The Stewardship Pledge Drive officially ended on Thanksgiving, but we are still happy to receive your pledge. To date, we have received 60 pledges for a total of $99,100. Our Stewardship goal is $130,000. Last year we received 73 pledges, for a total of $121,700. With another 14 pledges, we can equal last year’s participation. With your help, we can reach our goal.
Your pledges are the backbone of our yearly budget. They provide over 60% of our income.
A big thank you to those of you who have already made a pledge.
We hope that those of you who have not yet made your 2025 pledge, will make one soon.
We are now creating our 2025 budget, which will be based on your pledges.
We are so grateful for your support!
Coffee Hour After the Services
Please join us after the Sunday Services for coffee hour in the social hall downstairs.
For the month of December, the Welcoming, Engagement and Membership Committee will provide the refreshments. Meet the members and learn more about their role at North Chapel.
Are we going to have a Spring Fling Auction in 2025?
Thoughts? Can you help?
We are wrestling with this question. Four of us have had fun organizing it for the past 2
years, but 3 of us are no longer able to help. To have an auction again, we need
volunteers who are willing to commit time to make this fundraiser happen. Last year it
made $15,000 for the church. If you are interested in learning more about volunteering
for this important fundraiser, please email or call Mary Blanton.
Choir Rehearsals are on Thursdays in the Parlor
Seeking Vocally-Inclined People
Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a full choir loft again soon? Join us!
We have bikers and hikers and watchers of sunsets. Poets and linguists and students who dog sit. Listeners and talkers and strong Mt Tom walkers. Gardeners and dancers and those with the answers. Look no further for interesting friends while making pretty darned good music.
JOIN THE NORTH CHAPEL CHOIR! You will wonder why you waited!
Rehearsals are on Thursdays at 4pm in the parlor.
Contact Diane Mellinger, North Chapel Music Director,
for more information at vermontdianem@aol.com or text/call 802-356-2285.
Donate to the School for the Deaf in Mexico
On Sunday, August 4th we enjoyed the reflection by Rev. Tom Rosiello called, "Partnering for Justice". He hopes that some of us from the North Universalist Society will partner with his UU congregation in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, on their social justice initiatives.
He suggested that we could do it together as a congregation or individually, sponsoring some of the poorest children in their city who are deaf with scholarships for their tuition to the school for the deaf in their neighborhood.
If you missed the service, the video will be posted on our YouTube page early this week and on the “Worship With Us” page on Wednesday.
Below you will find more information about Rev. Tom and how you can make a donation to the work that his church is doing in Mexico.
The Reverend Tom Rosiello is the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of San Miguel de Allende in Mexico and minister emeritus of the First Parish of Stow and Acton in Massachusetts where he previously served as senior minister for 16 years. Social justice has been a large part of his ministry.
Tom is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School and holds a Juris Doctorate degree from Suffolk University Law School and a bachelor’s degree in communication studies. He enjoys teaching and has served on the faculty of Clark University in Worcester, and as a field education supervisor for Harvard Divinity School. Prior to ministry, Tom was a trial lawyer, first as an Assistant District Attorney for Worcester County, and later in private practice. A lover of music, he has served on numerous musical organization boards both in the U.S. and Mexico. He is a frequent guest preacher who brings his wide range of experience and learning to support people and their journey and help them put their faith into action. He and his partner Malcolm Halliday and their two wonderful dogs live in San Miguel de Allende Mexico and Ashburnham MA.
Here is a link to a page about the program: https://www.eeesma.com/
This links to the website of the congregation in Mexico: https://www.uufsma.org/
This video was shown at the UUA: https://youtu.be/Jf_yAIvMnhs
Here is a clip of some of the students “singing” IMAGINE by John Lennon, in sign language. (The video will be posted soon)
HOW TO DONATE TO
THE UUFSMA SOCIAL JUSTICE FOUNDATION
For over 30 years the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of San Miguel de Allende, MX, has prioritized a commitment to social action in the San Miguel community and its surrounding villages. The educational, health and living condition needs of Central Mexico’s marginalized people cannot be overstated. Many children in poor villages do not attend school past the 6th grade, do not have safe water to drink, and have no access to medical or dental care.
To donate by check: Send a check payable to the UUFSMA Social Justice Foundation to our U.S. bank. Please include your name and address (if not printed on the check), your home congregation and the designated charity (if applicable).
Fayette Savings Bank, P.O. Box M, LaGrange, TX 78945 Phone: 1-979-968-9511
Electronic transfer: Please note in the memo line your address, home congregation, and designated charity (if applicable). From your U.S. Bank, set up a one-time or automatic recurring Bill Pay to: Fayette Savings Bank Routing No. 313173792P.O. Box, LaGrange, TX 78945 Account No. 01-561252337, Phone: 1-979-968-9511 UUFSMA (Texas), EIN No. 85-1413347
PayPal: Send money via PayPal to uufsma.sjf.treasurer@gmail.com. There is a 3% fee for this service. Please consider adding the fee to your donation. Include your home address, home congregation and identify the designated charity (if applicable).
Your donation can change lives, and you can trust that your tax deductible gift will be 100% allocated to those most in need through a partner NGO.
Muchas Gracias! Learn more here: https://www.uufsma.org/
Rental Spaces Available At North Chapel
Please share this information with friends and business associates who may be interested in holding meetings and events at North Chapel.
Sanctuary - Social Hall - Kitchen - Parlor - Library - Meditation Chapel
The Back Lawn "Riverside Garden" and the Pizza Oven
We welcome you to inquire about holding conferences, meetings, classes or events in any of the spaces at North Chapel.
Look on our website here or contact the office for a rate sheet and more information.
In a town known for historic and beautiful buildings, the North Chapel Unitarian Universalist Church stands out. We are proud to have preserved and enhanced our facility to offer a spiritual gathering place, community resource, and historic treasure for Woodstock area residents and visitors. Our beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces were renovated in 2009-2010 and are ADA compliant/accessible.
See NEW Photos, Floor Plans, and a Drone Video Here:
Thanks to Laird Bradly and his
connections for providing these images that will assist in the rental of our spaces.
Click on the link below to take a tour of the interior of our beautiful church.
Walk through the light-filled Sanctuary then continue through the door on the back left. Turn left and down a few steps to see the first floor Parlor and Library. Head down the large staircase on the right to view the ground floor Social Hall and Kitchen. Step outside and to the left through the side entrance to see our Meditation Chapel.
Leon's Open Office Hours
Tuesdays from 3 to 5 pm and Wednesdays from 12 to 2 pm.
Please text or call or text him at 802-369-5104 to be sure his schedule has not changed.
Joanne's Church Office Hours
Administrative Assistant Joanne Boyle is usually in the church office on Monday and Friday from 1-3 and on Wednesday and Thursday from 11-6.
She also works from home.
Please call or text her at 802-369-9838 before visiting.
Donate to the Food Shelf!
Please remember to make a donation to the Woodstock Community Food Shelf. There is a bin in the church entrance where you can drop off your contributions.
Contact Amy McElroy or Judy Williamson for more information.
Emergency Procedures - Send us your Cell Phone Numbers
Last Sunday’s snow and power outage forced us to make the difficult decision of canceling the Sunday service.
Fortunately, last fall, we formulated an Emergency Procedures plan to deal with situations like this.
(Click the link to read the plan.)
Because the internet in Woodstock was unstable we were unable to send an email to members of the congregation until about 9:15 am.
Because we have cell phone numbers for some people we were able to send out text messages to many of you before that.
We are hoping that more of you will be willing to share your cell numbers with the church. Then we can set up a cell phone data base that will enable us to send out emergency texts if the need arises.
Please email your cell numbers to Mary Blanton.
Sincere thanks to you all for your understanding and for passing the word among yourselves last Sunday.
Kitchen Updates
~From Deb Rice~
IMPORTANT
If you are planning to use the kitchen in the social hall, to prevent plumbing problems and other damages, please contact Deb Rice beforehand.
Be aware that there are specific directions for the use of the oven and stove as well as the dishwasher and sinks.
Plan to leave the kitchen as you found it, and take home your leftovers unless arrangements have been made.
Thank you.
Composting at North Chapel
Good news! North Chapel has a new simpler composting system. No need to separate meat, bones or dairy; ALL food scraps can go in ONE 5 gallon bucket.
Compost will be picked up as needed by Zach Cavacas of Music Mountain Composting from the shed out back, and a clean bucket left for us to use next. This is possible because of the large scale of his operation, which produces Vermont Black Gold garden compost from the scraps.
This keeps money in the local economy, waste out of the landfill, and returns nutrients to the soil. We will get the household rate of $25 per pickup.
Please share any information, wisdom or history you may know about our North Chapel (Alice’s) kitchen.
With the inevitable changes over time in membership, and upgrades such as the new stove and new composting procedures, I would like to gather this institutional knowledge before it disappears and create a resource for all of us to share.
Send your thoughts, ideas and questions or suggestions to the office in emails titled “For Alice”. Volunteers will compile and organize these gems in some form and share at a future date TBD.
Musicians!
We are always looking for new musicians to provide music for the Sunday services, especially in the summer. If this is something you'd like to do, please email Diane Mellinger, Music Director at vermontdianem@aol.com .
Spirit of Life In Sign Language
Polly Forcier would like others to know that they are welcome to come to the altar on Sundays and offer Spirit of Life in sign language. She thought those that have learned it could take turns. Contact Polly if you're interested.
Coffee Hour after the Sunday Services
Here is the schedule of the church groups and committees that will provide coffee hour in the Social Hall on Sundays after the service. Membership and and the Mission statements from these committees can be seen HERE. Please consider joining a volunteer committee!
November: Board of Directors
December: Choir
2024 - January: Finance Committee
February: Music and Worship Committee
March: Committee on Ministry
April: Social Justice
May: Board of Directors
June: Choir
July: Welcoming, Engagement and Membership Committee (WEMC)
August: Nominating Committee
September: Finance Committee
October: Music and Worship
November: Committee on Ministry
December: WEMC
Thanks to all for your donations.
Do You Want a Name Tag?
At the Sunday services, you may have noticed many of us have hand made name tags that we wear on a string around our necks.
They are stored on a board in the entry to the sanctuary.
Want one?
If you’re new, we would love to learn your name.
If you have been a member or friend of North Chapel for a while, you may have lost yours.
Here's an opportunity to replace it.
Just look for Ann Wynia on Sundays. She usually sits in the back row near the guest book table.
She will be happy to take your name and create one for you.
Rental Spaces Available At North Chapel
Sanctuary - Social Hall - Parlor - Library - Meditation Chapel - Private Office Downstairs
The Back Lawn "Riverside Garden" and Pizza Oven
We welcome you to inquire about holding conferences, meetings, classes or events in
any of the spaces at North Chapel.
To see a 3D video of the whole building look here.
Contact the office for a rate sheet and more information.
Here is Leon's TEDx Talk on YouTube!
"The Radical Flower - Outgrowing Our Social Division"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkieN3oZJ-8
From YouTube:
Talking about joy and racial justice at the same time is almost impossible. It’s very hard work but it can be done. Our conversations about race and racism become so volatile because they are not yet as beautiful as they need to be. Our conversations do not yet enable us. Flower gets us closer. Through disciplined, graphic analysis of the of the stories that we hear (and the stories that we tell), Flower helps us to better understand this persistent, American challenge… and helps us to overcome it.
For the inaugural year of TEDxHartlandHill in Woodstock, VT, we compiled an amazing group of speakers to dive into the question, "What is Community?" Each speaker taking on all aspects of being our best, kind and open, to create a truly healthy environment.
Rev. Dr. Leon Dunkley leads us through an exercise towards more compassion using an innovative approach that is a wonder to see. The Rev. Dr. Leon Dunkley ministers to the North Universalist Chapel Society in Woodstock, VT. He is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist. The church of his childhood was the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Monmouth County in Lincroft, New Jersey. From this church (and from its minister, Reverend Harold Dean), Leon learned about the sweetness of life. He learned about compassion, peace, and possibility.
Leon received his undergraduate degree from Tufts University and his Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from the University of Pittsburgh. He studied the traditional drumming of Ghana and the Republic of Zaire, the Kora tradition of Senegal, the Gamelan traditions of Java and Bali in Indonesia, the African American Blues and Jazz tradition(s) throughout the Americas. Most recently, he has taken an interest in Bluegrass and Country Blues.
The joy of life is the best within us becoming possible. So then, how do we best foster the joy of life? A poet writes,
Reaching to the past, we find ourselves less distantly,
trying to remember our tale
Asking of tomorrow just the simple gift of peace,
oceans over ourselves
And, here, to give oneself upon an altar high,
trying to remember our tale
To see and hear within the stillness, to touch and taste the sky,
trying to remember our tale
As if the golden light was in our hands,
As if Silence had whispered my name…
Beholden and here I am
Silent and singing away
How do we commit ourselves to our highest hopes and aspirations? How do we challenge the barriers, the impediments that hold us back?
Leon is currently writing a book entitled The Flower of Impossible Soul. It explores the meaning of spiritual growth and radical forgiveness in the presence of violence and racial strife. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
The North Chapel Directory is Updated Monthly
If you would like a PDF of the newest directory sent to you
or would like a copy printed for you contact the office.
Enlarged Type
Enlarged copies of the weekly bulletin, with the Order of Service and the sheet music of the hymns for the week will be available at the back of the church each Sunday.
Just ask the greeter for a packet.
Assisting Our Community
On Behalf of Pastoral Care - "Circles of Caring"
At some point all of us need assistance. At other times we have have the ability to assist others. Whether you have have personal needs for support or feel a desire to help others in some way contact Anne Marinello or Joanne Boyle for more information or if you would like to be involved in organizing this initiative.
One need we have clearly identified is for driving assistance both for getting folks to and from church for Sunday services, meetings and events as well as for shopping and medical rides.
Some years ago, in the interest of saving gas, we instituted a rideshare program to and from church: some could offer rides, some needed rides. We'd like to consider starting this again but won’t try to carpool while covid is still a challenge. In the meantime, we need more drivers.
Although the Thompson Center has a transportation program which is accessible for medical appointments and shopping trips, it is not available on weekends or in the evening.
Please contact the office if you are willing to drive or if you are in need of a ride.
Woodstock Area Food Shelf
There is a bin to drop off non perishable foods at the entrance to the church. The Woodstock Community Food Shelf maintains an open, well-stocked food shelf providing basic nutrition to our neighbors in times of need.
Learn more and donate here: http://woodstockfoodshelf.org/
North Chapel Listserv News
Since its inception, nearly two thirds of all North Chapel members have subscribed to the North Chapel Listserv and it is fast becoming a popular communication tool among those subscribers.
As a subscriber, you will find in your inbox each morning a “digest” of all messages submitted by members the previous day. If no messages were submitted the previous day then, you will not receive a digest in your inbox for that day.
Subscribing is easy: send an email to the office . In the subject line, please type, “Subscribe Me”.
Is InTouch, our weekly newsletter “lost in the mail”?
Our weekly newsletter. "InTouch" is emailed out each Thursday evening. The Sunday Service reflection is sent out when it is available. I hear that some people don't get this newsletter, or the Sunday Service in their inbox.
We use Constant Contact as our email server and often these emails are sent to spam or promotions folders.
The best way to deal with missing these emails is to add northchapelcommunications@gmail.com to your contacts list. (This is an email address that we use for certain things, but not the regular office email address.)
(For those of you using Gmail, here are instructions for adding InTouch to your contacts: https://www.wikihow.com/Add-Contacts-in-Gmail?mc_cid=d9795d1b04&mc_eid=cad0f3b77e )
There is also a link to each week's InTouch newsletter on our website here: https://www.northchapelvt.org/news-events. Bookmarking that page for future use might be helpful.
Finally, if you're having technical difficulties, feel free to contact me. I look forward to helping everyone stay up to date with the news, events, and opportunities offered at North Chapel. Email office@northchapelvt.org or call 802-457-2557.
Please share this info?
Thanks, Joanne
THE HUB IS HERE TO HELP YOU DURING A CRISIS
The HUB:
Is a new program that makes it easier for you to get help during a time of need.
Is a central point of contact for you.
Is a connection with an experienced community volunteer who responds quickly and will help you get assistance.
Is confidential and respectful of your situation, whether due to divorce,job loss, family illness, financial stress, and food or heat insecurity.
Can help you if you live in Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading, or Woodstock.
Works with many local organizations such as Barnard Helping Hands and Ottauquechee Health Foundation.
Four Ways to Contact The HUB
Online: Complete an Application at: https://apply.thehubneighbors.org/form
Phone: 802-457-7214
Email: apply@thehubneighbors.org
Pick up an Application: Outside the Ottauquechee Health Foundation office at Simmons House at 30 Pleasant Street, Woodstock. The HUB is a Project of Woodstock Community Trust, a non profit 501c3 organization.
Zoom Meeting Safety Protocol
Here are some good ideas for keeping your Zoom meetings safe and secure.
These ideas are especially important if you are making your zoom invitation public.
FYI:
North Chapel will no longer have the zoom address of a public meeting on our website. Instead, there will be a link such as, To join the meeting click here. We have been told this will help to avoid meeting information going to “bots” that scan the internet for access to zoom meetings.
If you are hosting the meeting:
1. ALWAYS set the meeting up with a waiting room. This allows you to decide whether or not to let someone into the room. More importantly it allows you to quickly remove someone from the room if their behavior is inappropriate.
2. As you are setting up the meeting DO NOT give anyone authority to “share screen” until they are in the meeting.
3. When you invite people to the meeting, we recommend that you ask people to join a few minutes before you’d like to start so you can go through some Zoom etiquette and (if appropriate) let them know that you won’t let anyone join the meeting 10 minutes after you have started. It can be disruptive to have people join late and it is usually inappropriate to interrupt the meeting with etiquette rules.
4. The fastest way to shut down anyone with inappropriate behavior is to mute them and then move them into the waiting room and out of your meeting room.
Before the meeting learn:
how to mute someone
how to turn off someone’s video
how to let someone into the room
how to move someone to the waiting room
how to rename someone
These actions are accessible to the host and co-hosts by clicking on “Participants” at the bottom of your screen. Next to each participant's name there is an icon that offers these options.
It is difficult to write down how to do all these different things, the best way is to spend some time the day before the meeting practicing with someone more experienced than you.
5. When you start the meeting ALWAYS make another participant the co-host and then they have the same controls as you. Try to choose someone who does not have another role in the meeting, has a big screen and can be on gallery view so they can always keep some attention on the other participants. Don’t try and do everything yourself, especially for large meetings.
6. As people join the meeting, ask them to turn on their videos and “rename” themselves for the meeting if their screen name is not their own, like “My Ipad” or if they are using a nickname. If someone can’t do it themselves, the host or co-host can do it for them.
7. Take the first few minutes of a meeting to run through the etiquette you want to have in your meeting:
Ask people to keep their videos on whenever possible.
Ask people to mute themselves when they are not speaking and make sure they all know how to do that
Ask people to silence their phones and other thing else that could be disruptive
If you are participating in a meeting:
1. Make sure you are in a quiet place free from distractions
2. Silence your phone and anything else that could beep in your vicinity
3. Put your computer or phone in a stable place so you don’t have to hold it
4. Make sure your room is well lit so everyone can see you - don’t sit in front of a brightly lit window if that makes you dark
5. Join the meeting before the start so you can get settled and the meeting can start on time
6.Turn on your video throughout the meeting, unless you have to leave the screen or move the screen. Then turn your video on again when you are settled.
7. Learn how to mute yourself in case there is any background noise or you want to talk with anyone in your physical space
8. Learn how to name yourself on the screen so that your name appears as you’d like to be addressed.
9. Learn how to leave the meeting so you are in control.
Experience our Church in 3D
Click on the link HERE to take a Virtual Tour! (temporarily unavailable)
Walk through the light-filled Sanctuary then continue through the door on the back left. Turn left and down a few steps to see the first floor Parlor and Library. Head down the large staircase on the right to view the ground floor Social Hall and Kitchen. Step outside and to the left through the side entrance to see our new Meditation Chapel.
For more new photos of the church interior, look here: Event Spaces
This project was developed by the Weddings and Events Task Force in anticipation of renting our spaces for weddings and other events. Photographs by Mark Bluteau courtesy of the Bradley Family.
This page is updated weekly.
