UCC Women

            MISSION:
"To Promote and Maintain the Christian Ideals of Love, Goodwill and Fellowship."

2008-2009 Officers

Breakfast/ meetings are held on the third Sunday of the month at 8:45 am. The meeting follows a delicious breakfast. Speakers on relevant and interesting topics are scheduled for most meetings.

President’s Message

- “Home for the Holidays” The Holidays are upon us—the season of anticipation and joyous traditions that connect us and create a sense of belonging, of coming home to someplace familiar and comfortinng.

Traditions root us to life and enlarge our world view. Traditions increase our longing for everythng that makes life worth living and for the experiences that evoke a sense of inner connection—for “homecoming”. We anticipate The Holidays and look forward to preparing the traditional foods, hearing the familiar music and entertaining our loved ones, friends and neighbors. We never tire of hearing the stories of the season and the nostalgia of The Holidays causes us to search our heart and draw out longforgotten memories. We look to our traditions to express what mere words cannot, and they speak so clearly. The desire for homecoming - for belonging – conveyed in the tradition of eating together…”Come, share my food and together we’ll taste the true richness of life”.

Our desire for homecoming is heard in the traditional music…”Come, hear our music...for my joy will not be complete until the words and music find a home in your heart”. The traditional decorations and symbols of the season call us home to become, as Christ said, “as little children...little children full of wonder and trust”. We decorate our homes with warmth and beauty in anticipation of the day when every heart will be a welcoming, grace-filled heart. We even observe the tradition of doing good to show forth the anticipation that someday all people might live the abundant life promised by Christ.

Thanksgiving and Advent stir us from the ordinary flow of life to a keener awareness of God at work in our individual lives and in the world. We need these seasons to remind us that we wait, not passively, for the full revelation of God’s Kingdom, and our traditions are part of that active waiting.

As we wait, may we sense a deepening kinship with the marginalized and sometimes forgotten ones...the hungry child, the chronically ill, the lonely, the bereaved, the poor. May we find Christ near in exiled humanity. May our hearts be kindled with compassion and the courage to act upon Christ’s words…”whatsoever you do for one of the least of these, you do for me”.

May this season of hope and joy and gratitude heighten our desire to be more fully the people of God. As we go through this most wonderful season, may we watch with hopeful hearts, believing that God’s mercy and compassion will bring comfort and freedom and peace to all people in search of Home.

Marion Olsen President, UCC Women of MLCC

This information was taken from the recent UCC Women's newsletter, edited by Carolyn Furlong.

Editor’s e-mail address: CIFurlong@aol.com UCC Women of the Miami Lakes Congregational Church 6701 Miami Lakeway South Miami Lakes, FL 33014 UCC Women of MLCC

For the current newsletter click here

Craft fair

October Business Meeting

President Olsen presided. Seventeen women were present. Ruby presented the Devotional. The October 11, 2008 garage sale netted $1,025. The 2008-2009 budget was adopted, with a projection of $2,000 income from the two semiannual garage sales (seems to be right on target). A motion was passed authorizing Yvette to investigate purchase of a home theater system, screen and easel. Food for the Poor and Fisher House emerging as most deserving recipients of future contributions. Gail talked up the first Harvest Fair and Monica reported on the book club, even a KIDS’ book club! Wow! Lynn will be in charge of the breakfast at the November 16 meeting.

Christmas Luncheon December 6

September Business Meeting: Ruby, presiding in the absence of President Olsen, asked for volunteers to serve breakfasts and help at the garage sale. An outgoing President’s gift was presented to Marie-Luise. Mal Botsford was loudly applauded for his kind words for the women of MLCC. Motions passed to (i) purchase a laptop for the Program Coordinator’s use; (ii) contribute an additional $400 for classrooms in Honduras; and (iii) create a Tom Frantz Memorial by making an initial contribution of $100.

November 16, 2008 Meeting

We are indebted to Jan Pye, a volunteer at the Pelican Harbor Seabird Station, for our November program. Staff member Kelli Murphy will bring a power point presentation and lots of other information about the Seabird Station, which was started in 1979 by Harry and Darlene Kelton.

Harry Kelton convinced his wife, Darlene, to live on a houseboat at the Pelican Harbor marina for 6 months while their apartment building was renovated. They soon noticed the injured pelicans and other seabirds congregating at the marina and began paying out of their pocket for their care.

The first Seabird Station created by the Keltons was an unglamorous p r e f a b r i c a t e d shed. Miami-Dade County Parks Department owns Pelican Harbor and, at the Keltons’ behest, eventually built the current facility and leased it to Harry and Darlene. Harry passed the torch to Executive Director Wendy Cox in 2003 and sadly, Darlene passed away later that year. Harry serves as Treasurer of the non-profit association.

The vast majority of injuries treated at the Seabird Station are caused by fishing tackle. However, a wide range of other injuries include botulism poisoning, electrocution, severed legs and wings and golf ball strikes. The first birds rehabilitated were the brown pelicans, but the station has treated over 78 different species, with patients ranging in size from finches to a flamingo. It now treats thousands of birds a year. You can learn more at www.pelicanharbor.com.

• The Reading for Renewal book list on the UCC Women website click on ..WWW.UCCWOMEN.ORG
• *Contribution of $200 sent to Counseling Ministries of South Florida, $200 to Pilgrim Village, $140 to Children’s Home Society; *The Chair invited suggestions for other donations.
• We are challenging the church to give up plastic bags at the grocery stores for the more permantent kind. Dr. Ballweg has offered to purchase the bags to be sold with the church's logo in the near future.
  

For more information on UCC Women access the link to the National UCC Women website and keep in mind the Annual Florida Women’s Conference in Sebring, Florida, June 12-14, 2009

Our hope for 2008-2009 is to implement new ideas, inspire many other women to join our breakfast meetings to contribute their unique gifts and perspective , and to continue the long-standing tradition of ministry and mission in our community....our world...our church.

UCC WOMEN LIBRARY
Several books were purchased two years ago as a start for a library. Most members were not aware that these books are on hand and are available for borrowing. Ruby Holihan and Deborah Robinson were appointed to devise a mechanism for checking out the books. This could be a small start toward helping us compete in the in the Reading for Renewal program of the Florida UCC Women.