Nora Unitarian Universalist Church March, 2005 March 6 – “Pain, Peace, and Poetry” March 13 – “The Just
and the Unjust: Justice and the UU Community” March 20 – “Humanism
and Liberal Religion” March 27 – “Jesus . . .Again” 
DON’S SCHEDULE Don will be taking Mondays as his day off, and Fridays for sermon writing. (In the event of an emergency, don’t hesitate to call at anytime.) If you’d like to make an appointment with him, feel free to call the parsonage or his cell number. INSTALLATION SERVICE We will install Don Rollins as our new parish minister, on Sunday, April 24. The service time will be confirmed in next month’s newsletter – probably 4:00 P.M. Be sure to save the date as we celebrate the beginning of a new ministry!
At its February 20, 2005 meeting, the Nora Church Board of Trustees discussed team development as part of the board’s goals. The Religious Education, Program, Finance, Social Justice, and Committee on Ministry teams have held meetings. Some teams, e.g. Membership and Adult Religious Education need to be organized. The board wants to encourage congregational participation in the Prairie Star District annual meeting to be held April 8-10 in St. Paul, and the Leadership School later this summer. Rev. Rollins proposed an in-house mini-leadership workshop for church members who want to hone their skills in conducting meetings to keep them shorter and more focused. The board voted to send congratulations and a gift to the UU Fellowship of Mankato on the occasion of their moving into their new building on February 13th.
Team leaders are reminded to prepare budget requests and present them to Finance Team members Sally Hanson, Shannon Weiss, or Janet Rosenbloom, who will compile them for the board. The board will begin preparing the proposed budget at its March 20 meeting. The Finance team would welcome more members, even those who could give only a limited amount of time for special projects such as helping with the fund drive.
The final two New Ulm sessions of “Articulating Your UU Faith” are scheduled for March 3 and 10 at 7:00 PM. The March 3 meeting will be held at Rhein River Arts Center, but the March 10 session may meet elsewhere. Details will be decided at the March 3 meeting. The final Mankato session of “Articulating Your UU Faith” will be held on Thursday, March 17 at 7:00 P.M. at Doug Anderson’s home.
The Lunch Bunch Irregulars will meet again on Wednesday, March 9, at 11:30 AM at Goodfellaz Grill & Bar in Comfrey. 
Our newly formed choir is in need of additional sopranos. See Juanita Gilbert or Carol Chambord for details. DISTRICT ANNUAL MEETING The Prairie Star District Annual Meeting will be held on April 8 – 10, in St. Paul. Brochures are available on the information table in the church entry.
With the board’s approval, Don will lead a leadership training workshop after church on May 15. Our goal is to better focus our committees in light of our new mission statement. The workshop will last no longer than an hour-and-a-half, and will be designed especially for anyone on, or thinking about joining, our board and committees. But it’s open to everyone! (Please bring a snack or bag lunch for yourself.)
Don will lead the 9:00 A.M. discussion on Sunday, March 6. We will discuss the UUA pamphlet, “The Faith of a Feminist.” (The group meets each Sunday at 9:00.)
Several Nora Members perform at the CANU (Council for the Arts, New Ulm) Coffeehouse each second Friday of the month. Come perform or listen at the next CANU Coffeehouse on March 11, from 8:00 – 11:00, at the Rhein River Arts Center in New Ulm. A $5 donation is requested.
The UU Fellowship of Mankato has moved into its new building at 937 Charles Ave., the former Victory Life Church in Mankato. Their Pohl Road property has been sold, enabling the Fellowship to purchase this larger space. This is a big commitment, and we wish them well in their new surroundings.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Sunday, March 6th: Parent meeting for Coming of Age children (6th – 12th grades), during potluck. We are thinking of having Coming of Age classes two Wednesdays a month at the church starting in September 2005. Jeanie Hinsman has offered to teach one Wednesday a month and Don will teach the other Wednesday of the month. The Coming of Age children would attend church or help in the Sunday School on Sundays. Currently, the children participating in the Coming of Age class are Janney Rieke, Jordan Rathman, Tessa Makepeace, Reggie Peck, and Erik Byro. We will continue to use the Curriculum, “How Can We Know What to Believe?” the remainder of this year. We will be looking for a different curriculum for next year. Anne, Jeanie and Don would like to meet with the Coming of Age parents and/or grandparents during the March potluck to get your input on our ideas. If you have a child in sixth grade or older and are interested in having them participate in the Coming of Age class, please plan on joining us during the March potluck. Wednesday, March 13th, RE Wednesday: We will meet at 6:30 P.M. at the church. We will be getting ready for Easter, making centerpieces and baskets for our Easter egg hunt. If you are planning on coming on Easter morning, but will not be at RE Wednesday, please let Anne know so we can make a basket for you. 
Sunday, March 27, Easter Morning Breakfast: We will start serving at 9:30 A.M. The Riekes will provide the pancake batter. We need donations of eggs (6-8 dozen); juice (2-3 gallons); milk (4-6 gallons); sausage (6-8 dozen); butter (2-4 lbs.); and syrup (4-6 bottles). Please feel free to split the donations with other families. Sign-up sheets will be passed around to families beginning March 6th for jobs for kids and parents and also the food donations. They will then be placed on the main bulletin board in the entryway. HELP WANTED: Anne is looking for 2-4 people to form a RE committee. The primary responsibilities will be to help decide on classes and curriculum for RE classes next year. The majority of the work for this committee will be done this spring. If you are interested in working on this committee, please talk with Anne ASAP. HELP WANTED, 2nd EDITION: If your child(ren) are currently in RE, please keep your eyes open for a survey about RE this past year. We appreciate knowing what you thought worked and could have worked better for you and your family this past year. Your suggestions will definitely be considered when planning for next year. THANK YOU to those of you who have volunteered to teach an RE class. Your help is greatly appreciated. There is room for a few more volunteers. Please talk with Anne if you have questions and/or are interested in helping out.
The New Ulm Area S.P.O.T.S. (Students Performing on Tough Situations) is proud to announce that we are hosting our Second Annual S.P.O.T.S. Showcase on Tuesday, March 8 (7:00 – 8:30 PM) at the Community Center (600 North German Street). The Showcase will include the performance of 10 scenes. Scene topics will include: the consequences of underage drinking, puberty and the changes that occur, dating abuse, reputation, and many others. Please note that some material may not be suitable for young viewers.
If you are interested in becoming a Hospice Volunteer, training classes will be held on March 29 and 31, April 5 and 7, from 12:30 to 4:00 PM at the Madison East Shopping Center Community Room, Mankato. Contact Marilyn Underwood, Hospice Volunteer Coordinator, at 507-385-2618 if you have questions or would like to register.
The Oak Hills Auxiliary is sponsoring a Spring
Bake Sale and Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 12th from 9:30 to 11:00
A.M. at Oak Hills Living Center in
New Ulm. Monetary donations, craft items or baked goods are welcome by 8:30
A.M. on Saturday. Proceeds will be used to purchase over-bed tables for
residents. 
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