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 Samhain Ritual 2021
The Pagan cross-quarter point known as Samhain (pronounced Sow-ain) corresponds to Halloween, Day of the Dead, and All Saints Day celebrations.
All persons with an earth-centered spirituality focus should gather masked in-person or on Zoom (http;//nwuuc.org/zoom and click on ‘Sunday Services’) with the Hawk’s Hoop Chapter of the Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) in Stan’s Circle in the woods behind the church at 1:00 PM for the ritual on Sunday 31 October. We will be remembering our departed beloveds and making spiritual preparation for the winter season, as the sun descends deeper into the Southern Hemisphere. For more information about Hawk’s Hoop and if you have questions about the Ritual, contact Harry “Spirit Owl” Trendell at: geogprof97@gmail.com
What’s New With the Fall Auction?
- The online auction is November 13th! There is still time to donate and bid but it will be here soon! The final online event will be hosted by our own Tony Barbagallo at 7:00pm on Nov 13th. We will use the Sunday Service ZOOM link. https://nwuuc.org/zoom/
- Still thinking of items you can donate? Dinners? Fudge? Irish cream? Paintings? Lessons? Be creative! Visit https://nwuuc.org/fall-auction/ for instructions on how to donate items, how to set up an account and how to bid.
Bidding is open and there are already bids placed! Check out these new items and be sure to get your bid in.
Keith and Marcia Kreycik have generously offered to host two people “up to a week” on our boat and two sailing days off the San Francisco Bay! Want more info? Ask Tony Barbagallo and Kristen Fowks, who have spent time with the Kreyciks on their boat.
 
 If you want a scrumptious quadruple chocolate cake, look no further than Letitia Sweitzer’s creation! It is divine! She will bake it when you need it. (Editor’s note: I had one of these last week! It was heavenly.)
 How about a chicken enchilada dinner for 6, including brownies, and all of it delivered to your door from Lynne Dale? Yum!
 Circle Dinners
Members and friends participated in three circle suppers in October, each one unique. Becki Gregory hosted an evening of hors d’oeuvres, Kat and David Benoy had crazy hat night, and Karen and Edward Lawrence had a regular dinner/conversation evening. Below are a few pictures. Next month, won’t you consider joining in the evenings of fun?
We try to have a group of 8 per dinner to keep the preparation for everyone manageable and the conversation intimate, and we ask that you be vaccinated to attend for your own safety and for those around you. An invitation evite will be coming to you soon for November 20.
Here’s how it works:
The Host/Hostess provide the setting and beverages (coffee/tea, etc.), while guests provide the meal, each bringing one of the following:
l. Main Dish
2. Salad/Rolls
3. Appetizer
4. Veggie
5. Dessert
We rotate hosts/hostesses to allow them to go to someone else’s occasionally. We rotate guests… so they get to know each other better. Dinners will usually repeat on the 2nd or 3rd Saturday of each month. To sign up, call or text Judy McKinley at 404-406-2369 with your preference of HOSTING, GUESTING or AS NEEDED; leave the rest up to the committee. The Committee will email the details of your Circle on or before the weekend prior to the dinner.
 NWUUC Book Groupies
The NWUUC Book Groupies will be reading On Fire: The (Burning) Case For A Green New Deal by Naomi Klein for our Tuesday, November 9th, 7 pm Zoom meeting. Climate activist Greta Thunberg says author Naomi Klein has always “moved and guided” her in this age of climate emergency. This book of Klein’s essays showcases the economic war waged against both planet and people but recommending environmental reforms mindful of justice too. Join us for this eye opening but constructive and hopeful look at the climate and environmental emergency we all face.
If you would like a copy of this book from our NWUUC Bellwether Books store please leave Penny Raney a message at 770 551 8817 and we will get a copy to you. Also let Penny know if you want to join the Zoom meeting so you can receive the link. Hopefully, this might be our last book groupies meeting as we get our booster shots and get back to 3-D living.
A Call For Future-Makers and
a Preschool Progress Report
Fellow Northwest Members, I wanted to report to you about the progress of our preschool. After trying out several sources for funding the preschool, we have found a banking partner willing to lend the preschool the money. There is no congregational collateral at risk and generous guarantors and donors for the preschool are helping with their credit and donations. We are on the cusp of starting an amazing resource for NWUUC!
We hope for these financial flows to support the mission of Northwest and expect them to eventually be significant. Some of the potential uses of the funds include: hiring staff to take over where current volunteers are overworked or where we are unable to obtain volunteers to fill positions; fully funding our maintenance and repair budget; giving our existing employees more hours with a larger responsibility; funding a minister to do campus outreach to the various universities around Atlanta (Tech, GSU, UGA, Morehouse, Emory, etc.) to support UU students and provide for a liberal religious experience; adding significantly to our operating budget to reduce the Board of Trustees’ need to under-fund necessary programs; and, I am sure there will be other ideas from you all that will be candidates for funding.
We also hope to attract new members to the congregation with our own preschool. I think we all would like to see some new faces around NWUUC that share our values.
To accomplish all of this, the Preschool Committee will be reporting back to the bank about our exact current congregational details; speaking with a lawyer to make sure that we have set up the legal structure of the school correctly; and readying ourselves to hire a director for the preschool. Most importantly for getting the work done is to gather new Preschool Committee members –we need YOU! If you want to have a ginormous impact on this congregation’s future, this is the place for you.
Please contact David Stewart at stewart.david.w@gmail.com if you want more information on how you can help as a preschool committee member. The need for quality childcare continues to be urgent and this is our chance to make a difference for our community.
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