Guest Columnist:  Outgoing Greater New Orleans UU (GNOUU) Chair and First Church member Claudia Barker
 
This church year the Greater New Orleans UU cluster, informally known as GNOUU, wraps up its first important mission -- the official closure of the shared Capital Fund Drive for all 3 area UU congregations.  GNOUU will continue to exist -- for the leaders and members of the 3 congregations to worship, learn, and promote liberal religion together -- but the capital campaign is drawing to a close (although contributions and pledges will still be gratefully received).

For some years now, Claudia Barker has been not only a representative of First Church on the GNOUU Leadership Group, but also has served as its very capable chair.  As my guest columnist for this month, I have asked permission from Claudia to share with the congregation her farewell message to the GNOUU leaders.

Several of the FUUNO congregation are wallking in the NO/AIDS Walk (Sunday, September 12, 2010) - Noel Twilbeck and Jeanne Barnard.    Support Noel and Jeanne, or join in yourself.  Support the effort with a donation.  Any amount, great or small, helps.

NO/AIDS Task Force
2601 Tulane Ave., Suite 500
New Orleans, LA 70119
Attention: NO/AIDS Walk

UU World Magazine 8.30.10, online at uuworld.org

Three New Orleans churches and a Gulfport, Miss., congregation struggle to regain members five years after Katrina / By Donald E. Skinner

“Increasingly when I go out of town, including to General Assembly, I find UUs very surprised to learn our congregations haven’t been completely rebuilt,” said Morel-Ensminger. “I have to keep telling our story.”

Those interested in making a commitment to attend meetings and/or adventures, and participate in service events and service to the church. These covenent groups are open to adults interested in exploring within the structure of the covenant groups.

Outdoor Covenant Group (Facilitators: Shamus Rohn and Kathleen North)
Group Purpose:  An opportunity for us to experience the wonders of the outdoors together; to enjoy the simpler things the world provides; to feel the “mud” instead of the “concrete”; to enjoy the physical depth of our external world; to enjoy the safety of a group as we explore things or places or activities that we haven’t on
our own.  Group communication by Yahoo user group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fuunooutdoors/

The first planned adventure is Saturday September 11th (canoeing) and the next planning meeting will be November 29th.  

Conscious Living Covenant Group (Facilitator: Leslie Runnels)
Meetings: once a month, 2nd Monday of the month, 7pm to 9pm

Group Purpose:  The Conscious Living Covenant Group gathers once each month to joyfully engage with each other on all aspects of living life consciously, with respect to the "interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part."

Group communication by Yahoo user group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fuunoconsciousliving/

JOIN THE CHOIR!

• I can’t sing.  Yes, you can.  You probably just had a bad music teacher somewhere in your past!  Let us help you rediscover your talent.
• I can’t read music.  You don’t need to; you can learn it by ear. Besides, we will teach you to read music if you like!  It’s not hard.
• You might make me sing something alone when I don’t want to.  Would I do that?  I am the lowest-stress music director in the world.  I promise you will never be out of your comfort zone.
• Church music is too serious.  Hey!  This is New Orleans!  We’re all about enjoying the music and having fun.  As a friend said to me once, “If we ain’t happy, ain’t nothing happening!”
• I’ll do it later.  Look, I’ll be frank.  We need you now.  Our basses and tenors (or rather, our bass and tenor) would especially love a little company and support!  Be kind to Gerry and Byron.  To quote another friend, “We could do it without you, but it’s so much better with you.”