UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF MIAMI 7/14/11

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Weekly UpdateThis Issue:-This Sunday- Blood Drive- Flowers-Choir News- Summer Pastoral

Contact-Outreach Offertory- 8 Day Schedule- Voice & Sight

Singing Lessons

This Sunday: Interfaith & Social JusticeWe have the honor of hearing Jeanette Smith , the Executive Director of South Florida Interfaith Workers Justice, speak to us about our regional branch of this national organization and what we as a beloved community can do to help .This Social Justice service is led by Worship Committee Coordinator Luigi Ferrer.

What is South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice?South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice (SFIWJ) is an association of many diverse religious leaders throughout Miami-Dade and Broward Counties who respond to the crisis of the working poor. Established in 1998, SFIWJ is one of over 60 affiliates of the national Interfaith Worker Justice network based in Chicago. SFIWJ's volunteer Board of Directors is comprised of faith leaders from various religious and ethnic traditions.

SFIWJ provides a voice to educate, organize, and mobilize the religious community to serve low-wage workers in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. We dialogue with communities about religion’s historical roots and current policies for workers’ rights -- including the struggle for better wages, health benefits, working conditions, and the right to have a voice at work. We advocate for the rights of low-wage workers, the majority of whom are immigrants. Through our organizing efforts, workers’ struggles are transformed from just “bottom-line economics” into moral imperatives facing decision-makers. We also provide a spiritual uplift and moral foundation to workers in struggle.

Our successes include organizing and leading a delegation of 15 faith leaders to the Continental Group’s Headquarters, to urge them to allow their workers to unionize free of intimidation and threats of firings.  SFIWJ has also partnered with University of Miami (UM) workers, faculty, students, and local community leaders, resulting in 410 immigrant janitors gaining the choice to organize, to earn a living wage, health benefits, and a permanent voice on the job. Our actions on behalf of these workers received coverage in The New York Times, The National Catholic Reporter, and The Miami Herald.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF MIAMI 7/7/11

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

14 NE 15 NE 16 10am- Gentle Yoga, R3

17

9:30am- Spiritual Reality, ER

10am- Blood Drive

11am- Worship Service, S

12:45pm- Worship Committee, R6

1pm- Drumming Classes, R3

1:15pm- Grief Support, ER

18 10am- Gentle Yoga, S

19

6:30pm- Buddhist Reflections, ER

20 10am- Gentle Yoga, R3

12pm- Lunch Bunch, ER

21 NE

Legend:ER = Emerson Room

S = SanctuaryNE= No Events

The Colliflower Family

Esther and Owen Colliflower have a new address: 16 Salisbury Drive, Apt 7510, Asheville, NC 28803Esther has been recently released from the hospital. For more info, please call Carol Reiter (305) 661-0023.

BLOOD DRIVESouth Florida Blood Center mobile donation center will be visiting us this coming Sunday, July 17, 2011 from 10am-2pm. If you are able, won’t you give the gift of life? It’s free, takes only a few minutes of your time and you might even get a snack and tickets to some great event around town out of it.

FLOWERSHave you ever wanted to donate flowers for our sunday services but just couldn’t find the time to arrange it? Please call Iris Massey who is taking donations toward Sunday flowers and she will arrange everything. (305) 661-8482

CHOIR NEWSThere will be no choir rehearsal over the summer. Rehearsals will resume in the middle of August. Dates TBA.

SUMMER PASTORAL CAREReverend Drew has been on vacation since June 15th, and Reverend Wendy does not officially begin her work here until August 1. Between those days please call the office to relay any pastoral needs. Susie will have a list of nearby ministers who are available and she will assist in making contact as needed.

OUTREACH OFFERTORYEvery month on the 3rd Sunday we collect an offering for a deserving organization chosen by our Social Justice Committee. This Sunday we will be collecting for “South Florida Interfaith Worker Justice”. If you’d like for your offering to go to this organization please write “Outreach” or the name of the organization in the Memo Field of your check or Cash Offering Envelope. All other offerings will be applied to individual or family 2011-2012 pledges (if pledge cards were filled out).

VOCAL AND SIGHT READING

LESSONS

Dr. Tim Buchholz

Vocal Lessons:

Thursday, July 14, 2011- 7-8pm in Emerson RoomThursday, August 4, 2011- 7-8pm in Emerson RoomThursday, August 11, 2011- 7-8pm in Emerson Room!!!!!!Thursday, August 18, 2011- 7-8pm in Emerson Room

Sight Reading Lessons:

Thursday, July 14, 2011- 8-9pm in Emerson RoomThursday, August 4, 2011- 8-9pm in Emerson RoomThursday, August 11, 2011- 8-9pm in Emerson Room!!!!!!Thursday, August 18, 2011- 8-9pm in Emerson Room

...will be offering free Vocal Lessons and

Sight Reading Lessons in the Emerson

Room. If you are interested in learning to

sing, want to brush up your chops, dig into

some technique, read music and most

importantly have fun with music, please feel

free to attend. We’d love to have you!