Newsletter of the Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Woodruff, WI
Volume 16, Number 6 –December 2014
We Are a Welcoming Congregation
Upcoming Services
Services are on alternate Sundays at 10 AM
December 13: Holiday Service at 4 PM on Saturday. Join us for a service of music, readings and stories in celebration of the season. A potluck supper will follow. THERE WILL BE NO SERVICE ON DECEMBER 14.
December 28: To Be Announced
Events:
No Adult R.E. on December 21. Adult R.E.: Adult RE is on alternate Sundays at 10 AM. Adult RE is on alternate Sundays at 10 AM. In September, we began a new series entitled The Vikings. As explorers and traders, the Vikings played a decisive role in the formation of Latin Christendom, and particularly of Western Europe. In this course, you will study the Vikings not only as warriors, but also in other roles for which they were equally extraordinary: merchants, artists, kings, raiders, seafarers, shipbuilders, and creators of a remarkable literature of myths and sagas. Professor Kenneth Harl synthesizes insights from an astonishing array of sources: The Russian Primary Chronicle (a Slavic text from medieval Kiev), 13th-century Icelandic poems and sagas, Byzantine accounts, Arab geographies, annals of Irish monks who faced Viking raids, Roman reports, and scores of other firsthand contemporary documents. Among the topics you will explore in depth are the profound influence of the Norse gods and heroes on Viking culture, and the Vikings' extraordinary accomplishments as explorers and settlers in Iceland, Greenland, and Vinland. With the help of archeological findings, you will learn to analyze Viking ship burials, rune stones and runic inscriptions, Viking wood carving, jewelry, sculpture, and metalwork. From 790–1066, virtually invincible Viking fleets fanned out across Europe, raiding, plundering, and overwhelming every army that opposed them. By 1100, however, the Vikings had disappeared, having willingly shed their identity and dissolved into the mists of myth and legend. How did this happen, and how should we remember this formidable civilization that, for being so formative, proved so transient? Please join us for this interesting series
Campanile Christmas Concert: The Campanile Christmas concert will be Sunday, December 7 at 1 PM, including Patty Buehler and Frank Patin.
Update on Caritas: Caritas has been open one year. We started with St. Matthias as the sole financial supporter of Caritas. We now have seven organization that provide financial support plus many generous donations from individuals. Those organizations that support Caritas are Calvary Lutheran Church, LDF Community Presbyterian Church, Unitarian Fellowship, Holy Family Catholic Church, Peace Lutheran Church, LDF Lions' Club, and of course, St. Matthias. We started with 22 volunteers, all from St. Matthias. We now have 34 volunteers from ten different organizations. The seven organizations that support us financially plus Eaglebrook Church, Ascension Lutheran Church and Church of the Pines Methodist Church provide volunteers to Caritas. We had no steering committee when we started. Now we have a seven member committee to make policy and help find solutions to problems and deal with growth. We were open a total of 95 days. We gave away roughly $20,463.00 to around 150 people. We at Caritas are very happy with those numbers and facts. But we are even happier about the help we have been able to give to so many people. Much of the help we give along with financial help is a listening ear, respect, confidentiality, and a non-judgmental attitude. We always try to provide true Charity. We are also often able to refer a client to an organization or agency that can give more wide ranging and permanent help than Caritas can provide. We are especially grateful to the St. Matthias Thrift Shop and to the Lakeland Pantry, two organizations that provide so much free help to our referrals. We are also grateful to the two lawyers, two dentist, and optometrist that provide pro bono services to our clients.
The financial contributions of so many people and churches have made it possible for Caritas to pay the bills of many people who are in emergency situations. The extremely cold weather of last winter broke the household budgets of many people in the Northwoods. Due to the generosity of so many of you, we were able to help a great many people with those bills. This year we have set aside an amount of money to help people especially with heating bills. We have also helped with the increased number of WPS bills due to the extreme weather. We continue to help with medical payments, prescription drugs, car repair, gasoline, work clothes, phone minutes, DMV fees, and many other bills that become too difficult for our clients to pay due to the circumstances in their lives.
Happy Holidays AND remember Caritas in your yearend giving. We always need more funds. We are tax deductible. Please send your checks or cash to :
Caritas, St Matthias
P.O. Box 936
Minocqua, WI. 54548
From Barb Logan: Our fellowship donated $1,000 to Caritas. I have become one of its trained volunteers and help people with their needs two or three times a month. It would be wonderful if more members of our Fellowship could become volunteers. It is not hard to become a volunteer. You observe for two times, note take for two times. Then you are ready to be a lead person in the interview process if you feel ready. There is a notebook that is tabbed with resources that are available in our area to help people. We have some money that we can give. It never goes directly to the person though. It is written to a business, pharmacy, dentist, car repair shop, after a phone call has been made to verify the bill. Caritas is open Tuesday and Thursday mornings and on one Saturday morning each month. Barbara Logan 715-356-3104
Concert at the Woolpy's: Wade Fernandez Returns to Tara & Jerry’s Saturday, December 6, at 7 PM.
After whirlwind tours in Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Italy, and Switzerland, the Rhinelander Festival of the Arts, Green Bay, Oneida, and Minneapolis, a Piney Ridge favorite is back at our home thanks to your overwhelming enthusiasm for last year’s concert. As most of us know Wade can soothe and Wade can rock while honoring his Menominee Indian Reservation home and roots. His voice, guitar, flute, drums, and songwriting flow from the powerful gift of Native America heritage. Email Jerryw@earlham.edu for reservations. Be sure to let us know how many in your party. Call 715 356 6276 if lost or if you need more information. Gratuities for the performer $10 to $20 per person.
Dinners at Frederick Place: We will be fixing and serving dinners at Frederick Place on December 28 and 29, 2014. Please contact Barbara Logan if you can help.
Milestones
Paul Braunstein 12-03
Dawn Holt 12-06
Natalia Graf 12-08
Julie Wambach 12-12
Julie White 12-14
Cathy Peterson 12-14
Guthrie Linder 12-15
Diane Reupert 12-19
Laurie Figueroa 12-20
Bob and Marilyn Feser 12-22
Suzy Foster 12-27
Marilyn Hendry 12-27
Dan Padberg & Sally O'Brien 12-30
Dana Collins 12-30
Peter Frost 12-31
NUUF and NEWSLETTER INFORMATION
Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
P.O. Box 1881
Woodruff, WI 54568-1881
Like us on Facebook
Bob Hanson, President
The NUUSLetter is published monthly. Newsletter Deadline: 27th of the month. Please send submissions to Elinore Sommerfeld at esommerf@aol.com.
For distribution of announcements between newsletters or email/address corrections, contact Candy Sorensen at sorencan@yahoo.com.
