We’ve wrapped up bidding and buying for our 2024 Service Auction, which raised over $33,000—one of our best results ever! Electronic billing statements were sent to every participant, and paper statements will be available during the social hour after Sunday’s service, along with physical items people need to pick up. Bills for donors who are contributing to group events such as Mardi Gras and the Chili Cookoff are being sent separately. The Auction Team will be taking payments on Sunday (via check or Venmo). People can also pay at any time via Realm. Payments are due by the end of the month. Thank you to everyone who donated an item, is hosting an event, purchased an offering, helped with the kickoff party, or participated in any of the activities related to the auction. It takes a village to put together MUUF’s largest fundraising event of the year, and we appreciate everyone who participated. The “fun-raising” of auction events is starting and will continue through the coming year. We look forward to seeing you!

Mark your calendars! On January 26th, we’re hosting a Volunteer Fair following service in Chu Hall. This is your chance to discover exciting opportunities to give back and make a difference within our community. What to expect: Meet and connect with existing teams and activities: Learn about their ongoing projects and how you can get involved. Explore new possibilities: Discover ideas for new teams and activities that could be launched if we have enough volunteers. Get inspired: Hear from passionate volunteers who are making a real impact. Stay tuned for more information about the Volunteer Fair, including specific times, speakers, and activities. In the meantime, spread the word and encourage your friends and family to join us! Existing Teams and Activities : If your team or activity is looking for new volunteers to join or to assist with your activities, this event is the perfect time to advertise what you do! If you would like a table at the Volunteer Fair, please reach out to Katy at admin@muuf.org.

Every day awake is full of wonder and tedium. Rising in the morning is exciting but typically activities of daily living need attention immediately. For us, an object looms, getting Iris off to school. Once this is done one can decompress, look at the world, perhaps engage some exercise equipment, perhaps join some social media frenzy. One thing I have been hearing lately is the question “Why is there anything at all?” this is sometimes stated as a wonder “It’s a miracle that anything is here at all.” However, I think that this statement of the question/proposition assumes too much. It assumes that we can readily, I would even say immediately and intuitively know what the state of affairs would be if there were nothing, or perhaps merely that there was not anything. Let’s try to unpack what is at stake. What would it mean for there to be nothing at all? Clearly it cannot be the mere absence of things. The spacetime manifold is not an independent entity, it is related to the objects that populate it. Even if it were, why should it get privilege? It is not a nothing. Apparently, there was a cosmic experiment in nothingness, but it resulted in the Big Bang and the universe that we currently inhabit. We do not know at present what preceded the Big Bang, but we know that it had to contain the conditions of the Big Bang, and that does not seem to be nothing. So what alternative conceptions of nothingness are available to us? More on this later…

On the left, you will see an image of a table created by Morristown UU members Mary MacGowan and Barbara Castellana Stasiak for the Fellowship’s 2024 Ingathering and Water Communion service. Mary and Barbara used silky blue and turquoise fabrics supplied by Beth Wilson and urns and vases purchased at the Habitat ReStore. On the right, you will see a reflection by Barbara about her journey to a Marrakech museum later that month with Morristown UU friends Kathy & John Solu, where they explored the scientific and spiritual dimensions of water. As our own community contemplated the value and meaning of water in September, Barbara was struck by the insights that Islamic traditions can offer Unitarian Universalists. A journey to Morocco in late September revealed that our UU appreciation for the sacredness of water is shared with Moroccans who created the Museum of the Water Civilization in Marrakech THIS MUSEUM WAS CREATED TO: Note the spiritual dimensions of water; Honor the work of His Majesty the late King Hassan II in this field; Commend the hydraulic policy of His Majesty King Mohammed VI; Introduce the Moroccan genius in water management; Make known the historical role of the “Habüs” (Religious Foundations) in the governance of water; Recall the sanitary uses and water rituals; Call to mind the economic uses and traditional water technologies; – Make known the legal heritage and negotiation in the field of water; – Appreciate the traditional wisdom in saving water; – Mention the traditional beliefs and inspirations associated with water.

Auction statements including a list of items purchased by you and a list of the winners for your donations are being sent out via email this week. Your individual items can be picked up at the Fellowship on Sundays Dec. 8th and Dec. 15th or by arrangement. Due date for payment is DECEMBER 31st! You may pay by check, Realm and Venmo. The Service Auction Team will have a table during coffee hour on Dec. 8thand Dec. 15th. Payments can be submitted at that time and printed copies of statements will be availble. Thank you again for your participation! The Service Auction Team Serviceauction@muuf.org

Come celebrate the winter holidays with us with several great events, including the upcoming Holiday Benefit Show to support our Fellowship, the Winter Weavings lay-led service, our two Christmas Eve services, and a NEW holiday offering – Winter Solstice. Holiday Benefit Show, Dec. 20th at 7PM – The Folk Project’s Annual Holiday Concert to benefit MUUF will be a wonderful of evening of music, goodies, and…well, fellowship. It will also be an occasion for our two great communities to unite, and the proceeds will be donated to the Fellowship. [NEW] Winter Solstice, Dec. 21st at 5:30PM – Celebrate the longest night of the year with a short ritual for all ages followed by a white elephant gift exchange. We ask that participants bring a wrapped, unlabeled gift valued at $20 or less. Please consider bringing gifts that are appropriate for all ages. Unable to bring a gift? Don’t worry—we have extra! Let’s share the magic of the Winter Solstice together! Winter Weavings , Dec. 22nd at 10AM – Celebrate the many winter holidays with a lively musically-rich intergenerational service led by members of the Morristown Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Christmas Eve Family Service , Dec. 24th at 5PM – Join us for an interactive Christmas pageant for all ages — and especially families with young children! Children (and the young at heart) are invited to arrive dressed up as shepherds, angels, wise ones, or barnyard animals for this fun and participatory service. We will end by singing “Silent Night” by candlelight. Christmas Eve Late Service , Dec. 24th at 8PM  – Join us for a “lessons and carols” Christmas Eve service. We will hear the traditional Christmas story, explore its meaning in our contemporary lives, lift our voices together for some great carols, and end by singing “Silent Night” by candlelight.

Have you recently reflected on your own, in your classroom, or in your small group on one of our monthly SoulMatters themes of Invitation, Deep Listening, or Repair? Did your reflection take the form of artwork or the written word? Would you like to share your creation with the rest of the Fellowship? If so, please consider submitting it to our new(ish) SoulCreations Gallery! You can submit your work to the Gallery at or visit the Gallery .

Let’s Make Our Queer Holiday Makers Market a Success! We’re excited for our upcoming Queer Holiday Makers Market, happening on Saturday, December 7th, from 1-5 PM at 21 Normandy Heights Rd, Morristown, NJ . This event is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate queer creativity, support local businesses, and give back to our community. To make this event a success, we need your help! We’re looking for volunteers to assist with a variety of tasks, including: Flyering Local Businesses: Distribute flyers to local businesses in the Morristown area to spread the word about our event. Outreach to Like-Minded Businesses and Organizations: Reach out to organizations like the Morris County Pride Center, Outpost LGBT Community Center, and other local queer-friendly businesses to promote the event and potentially collaborate. Coordinating and Running the Bake Sale: Organize the bake sale, recruit bakers, and manage the sale on the day of the event. Baking for the Bake Sale: Contribute delicious baked goods to the bake sale. Welcoming Guests: Greet attendees, answer questions, and provide information about the event. Hot Chocolate Bar: Serve hot chocolate and other warm beverages to keep guests cozy. Decorating Chu Hall: Decorate the venue with festive decorations to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Running Crafts or Activities: Organize and lead fun crafts or activities for attendees of all ages. Collecting and Delivering Knit the Rainbow Items: Collect and deliver handmade winter clothing items to homeless LGBTQ+ youth. Communicating with Local News Outlets: Reach out to local newspapers and online news outlets to generate buzz and attract attendees. Please sign up to help if you’re interested in volunteering. Let’s come together to create a memorable event that celebrates our community and supports important causes.

As part of the Board’s efforts to facilitate connection, communication, and coordination between the Fellowship’s Board, Committee on Ministry, staff, and ministry teams, the Board hosts quarterly Network Meetings. Congregational leaders are invited to participate and pass on information shared during the meeting to their group members and beyond. On November 20th the Network convened its second quarterly meeting of the year, focused on Relationship Building and the idea that Community = Relationships. The meeting highlighted several key initiatives aimed at strengthening relationships and fostering community engagement. Reverend Sasha has been actively building connections with groups like The Folk Project, Gay Activist Alliance in Morris County (GAAMC), and the Morris Area Interfaith Clergy Council, the Morris Area New Jersey Together affiliate of the Industrial Areas Foundation, and local UU colleagues in the New Jersey cluster of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association, laying the groundwork for meaningful collaborations. Nick Wallwork shared updates on the Tending Congregational Life classes, which are helping participants develop a shared understanding of community building and a commitment to inclusivity. Kendall Martin provided insights into COM’s efforts to assist with interpersonal conflicts and gather input from members on this year’s Open Questions that guide the Fellowship’s future priorities and strategies, including, “what does it mean to be welcoming?”, “how are we called to use our new space?”, and “what is our mission?” For more information about this years open questions, please see the article in this Newsletter describing our Board Retreat and actions underway: Vision of Ministry and Open Questions at Morristown UU Fellowship. Carolyn Evans outlined the Welcoming Team’s initiatives to improve visitor engagement through systematic follow-ups and increased visibility at local fairs, while also supporting Reverend Sasha’s work with newcomers , such as the new monthly Newcomer Welcome gatherings, the twice-a-year Prospective Member Lunches, and the upcoming Starting Point Soul Matters class for newcomers.. During the discussions, members highlighted several successes, challenges, and opportunities for growth in community engagement. They emphasized the positive inclusion of children in services, the support shown to families, and the value of Welcome Ambassadors and the new Lay Pastoral Care Team in fostering post-service connections. Captioning and music enhancements were also noted as meaningful improvements. Members also offered ideas for areas of improvement, including managing communications, updating banners, streamlining tools like Signup Genius, and addressing the limitations of Realm. To strengthen the Fellowship’s broader role, participants suggested thinking deeply about the use of the new Chu Hall, inviting neighbors to events, and increasing volunteer collaborations with external organizations. Intentional efforts to build community were also raised, with ideas such as becoming a refuge for those seeking meaningful action in the wider community, prioritizing social justice through deeds, and enhancing personal outreach through direct contact. We need everyone’s help to live our values and help build the beloved community. Let’s continue to strengthen our connections so we can make a greater impact both within our Fellowship and beyond in our wider Community.

The Board of Trustees was so excited to be joined by Rev. Sasha at our annual Board Retreat in August. It was her first Board retreat as our Settled Minister! We reviewed our strategic plan and last year’s Board goals, which included our Ministerial Search, our New Addition, our Policy Governance journey, and Communication Flow. As Board Secretary Jeanne Craft shared from the pulpit on October 13th, we were energized by the major work of this year’s Board Retreat on two important topics: our Vision of Ministry (VoM) and our Open Questions (OQ) for the Fellowship year ahead. Our 2024-2025 Vision of Ministry was crafted and proposed by Rev. Sasha and reviewed and approved by the Board. The VoM is centered on our Interim Mission Statement: To nurture a spiritual home where all are welcome and encouraged to participate in a universal search for truth and meaning while working together to build a fair and peaceful world. Our VoM contains three elements which we have already started to experience this fall. “Nurturing our Spiritual Home” and furthering our “search for truth and meaning” through the worship and religious education including use of the Soul Matters Thematic Ministry, Working to ensure “all are welcome and encouraged to participate” by fostering deeper community connections through relationship-building and enhanced communication via a 1-on-1 listening tour throughout the year, and “Working to build a fair and peaceful world” via working with our existing and new social justice teams. The Board then brainstormed and selected our “Open Questions” for the year ahead. Open Questions don’t have simple “Yes” or “No” answers, but rather require congregational discernment and discussion. Open Questions are very important as they will be used at next year’s Board Retreat to create our Vision of Ministry for that year. With this in mind, we picked three Open Questions which we believe are key for our Fellowship this year: What does it mean to be Welcoming? How do we thoughtfully use our expanded space and facilities?, and What is our Mission? In order to get the input of the entire Fellowship, we have asked our Committee on Ministry to lead the Fellowship in exploring our Open Questions. The Committee on Ministry has graciously agreed. We are excited to see what our collective answers are to these Open Questions, and then to use them to build our next Vision of Ministry for the 2025-2026 Fellowship year. This fall, the Vision of Ministry has already been strongly launched by Rev. Sasha, our Staff and Committees. With the recent opening of our beautiful Gateways Center and campus improvements on November 17th, it will be exciting to see how our Ministry continues to grow and flourish. As we start to explore our Open Questions together, imagine what the future holds! Watch our Newsletter for announcements from The Committee on Ministry as we start to explore our first Open Question: What does it mean to be Welcoming? Thanks to each and every one of you for the part you play in building our community with Love at its center. Your Board of Trustees

The dedication of our new Gateways Center brought a weekend of celebration and community to the Morristown Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Rightly so, for we were culminating fourteen years of effort in improving, restoring, and modernizing our six-acre campus at 21 Normandy Heights Road in Morris Township. The weekend brought expressions of amazement, elation, and pride. It prompted entries in diaries, calls to friends and relatives, hugs in our hallways, and greetings from our wider world. I paint here some images of the thanks, service, caring, tribute, and community that flowed through the weekend at our Service Auction “Imagine” and wonderful Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. Capped with beautiful fall weather, the weekend of November 16th and 17th, 2024 was a historic one for our Fellowship. Fourteen years ago, our Sacred Spaces Taskforce (later taking on the name Gateways to honor our historic mansion) worked closely with architect James Chai to develop a vision for a beautiful, accessible, sustainable and welcoming space, where we could all meet for events, services, and ceremonies. The vison was ambitious as it also included caring for our beautiful historic mansion and grounds. The ceremony on November 17th is now the fifth and largest of five “Ribbon Cutting” Celebrations which we have held. We marked the opening of our East Parking with bioretention and landscaping in 2019, our new Oval and Front Entrance in 2020, our playground in 2021, and our new Thorne Oaks Mansion roof and dormers in 2022. Now, in 2024, we are marking the completion of our new addition, called the Gateways Center, which has features we have so long desired. There is a hall with seating for 300 in rows or for 200 at tables. A new catering kitchen, large and well-designed classrooms, and adjoining all-gender bathrooms. In addition, the building is seamlessly attached to our historic mansion and includes new water, electric and gas service, accessible parking, new landscaping and fencing, and will soon have roof-top solar electricity. I share below in words and photos, my personal account of our weekend of celebration, which included a small “soiree” on Friday, the Service Auction “Imagine” on Saturday, the Service “Over the Rainbow” on Sunday morning, and culminated with the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the new Gateways Center. After weeks of preparations for the events of the weekend, Friday night started off with a kindness extended to our Staff, Gateways and DRWW teams. We were treated to the legendary Chu family hospitality including delicious food and conversation. With old and new friends and surrounded by Minda Chu’s family, we were able to simply relax and enjoy each other’s company before the busy weekend to come. On Saturday, our event teams had recommended that we combine the opening of the new addition together with our Service Auction. Giving us a view of the Gateways Center in the evening, this was a perfect way to showcase how our new building could open up entirely new ways for us to be together. “Imagine” was the name so appropriately given to this year’s Service Auction. Members were amazed on entering the Welcome Gallery and marveled at the beautiful construction of our new addition. They were further swept away upon entering the Al and Minda Chu Family Hall, where they were greeted by food, starry decorations, and blue and green “wall wash” lighting behind a 5-piece jazz band. The elegant event was topped off by dapper bar tenders and smiling servers. We so enjoyed each other’s company. I was amazed that I could hear the jazz music and also the person across the table from me. I saw that everyone else was in conversation as well. Wow, the acoustics are amazing! The evening progressed with bidding, music, dancing, and good vibes throughout! With such a successful night in our new addition, I went to bed excited for the big day ahead, but confident about how well prepared our volunteers, staff, and indeed the new Gateways Center itself, were to put on an amazing day of Worship, Ribbon Cutting, Dedication, and Celebration. Sunday morning, I arrived early for the service to set up gifts in Chu Hall. Rev. Sasha entitled her service “Over the Rainbow” to both honor our past and the founding of our Fellowship and to look forward to our bright future ahead. Rev. Sasha struck a chime to a full sanctuary and DRE Nick presented a time-for-all-ages. When Franklin Heller announced the Offertory, it was my time to stand up and deliver a surprise! I had rewritten the lyrics to an old Betsy Burr, golden-era song about our mansion. The new lyrics imagine the love and good cheer of our members in our new Fellowship Hall. (Photo Rainbow 3). The verses of the song praise our Deep Roots with “a plan in our head”, our Wide Wings “helping friends by their voice”, our Resilience Rising “right here in our hall to answer our call”, and end with a charge of Moving Forward “our chalice is bright so let’s shine it”. The chorus of the song pokes fun at our no-longer-quixotic dreams of being able “park safely near the door”, “walk by restrooms on the first floor too!”, “watch our children down in their playground”, and to “sip our coffee and join them too!”. Michael Rosin created just the right golden-era mood on the piano to help me pull off my “ski doo, ski daddle daddle do’s”. What fun! The Ribbon Cutting started promptly at 11:30 AM as planned. Alex West, our A/V Technician, worked masterfully to have three A/V centers fully operational that day in our Sanctuary, in the Uhrhane Wilson Family Welcome Gallery, and in the Al and Minda Chu Hall. When he turned my mic on and gave me the thumbs up, my voice rang clearly throughout the spaces filing the air with great sound and giving me confidence that I would be clearly heard by all. Rev. Sasha had prepared a minute-by-minute agenda, where we planned to let the anticipation build so that all could experience, one more time, just how crowded our events have been for these past 60 years! Thus, happy and crowded together, around two hundred people were assembled in the Welcome Gallery, Terrace Room, and extended into our Mansion’s Great Hall. Rev. Sasha assembled our building team, Township officials, and the Chu family just under the doors to the Al and Minda Chu Family Hall. It was with great joy that two ceremonial rainbow ribbons were cut. The first ribbon was cut by our Gateways leaders together with our architect and contractor. The second ribbon was cut by Minda Chu and her family. Rev. Sasha, myself, and our township officials were all looking on. Without further ado, everyone was invited to sit around the tables and serve themselves from four serving stations! It was amazing to see two hundred people help themselves to food and drink and find a place to sit in just 15-20 minutes. With everyone comfortably seated, Rev. Sasha started the formal ceremony. Rev. Sasha lit our chalice for the first time in the Gateways Center, while I read our mission statement to all assembled. I was touched to see this quoted in the Morristowngreen.com article describing our event. “May the light of this Chalice shine in each of us to fulfill our mission: To nurture a spiritual home where all are welcome and encouraged to participate in a universal search for truth and meaning while working together to build a fair and peaceful world.” In the opening remarks, I was so very honored to welcome the entire congregation, friends, alumni, and invited guests and building professionals. What a wonderful and memorable gathering! In many long-time member’s memory, this ceremony was unique in that we had 6 officials from Morris Township and Morristown invited. These officials were so touched by our hospitality. Beth Wilson shared that the mayor, whom she had not met before, loved the entire event and gave her a big hug of joy, thanks, and congratulations when departing. Four families were then invited to speak. These families generously offered significant financial contributions to ensure that the Gateways Center addition could be completed fully as envisioned. Describing the Uhrhane Wilson Family Welcome Gallery, Joe and Beth spoke of the importance of Welcoming. Beth closed by noting that she “can’t think of a more fitting place for the name Uhrhane to be than above the word Welcome”. Describing the Loe Family Courtyard of Compassion, Adrienne Lee Benson shared the life lessons she learned about compassion and helping others from her grandparents, Lee and Hardy Loe, and Aunt Claire. Describing the Morgenthaler Ferm Our Whole Lives OWL Classroom, Helene Ferm spoke of the thanks our family has for our parents and for the Religious Education program at the Fellowship, especially the OWL class. Helene, a professional engineer specializing in energy conservation engineering, also noted how much she appreciated our commitment to the environment in all aspects of the building design. Finally, describing the Al and Minda Chu Family Hall, Jehan Chu was passionate in recalling the importance of learning his values within the walls of the Fellowship with his parents. He expressed his desire that many more families will grow, learn, and share their values in our Fellowship in the future. Further special guests included rev. mandi huizenga, Dr. Elias Ortega-Huizenga, Rev. Joel Miller, and Rev. Alison Miller. The love and contributions each of these religious professionals in leadership and success of our Fellowship is significant. It was special to have them share their congratulations with us in their video greetings. Rev. Joel’s paid tribute to us as he reflected how we “save lives”. Rev. Alison reflected on our steady and dedicated effort to improve our facility and prepare for our future. With heartfelt congratulations, she “never had a doubt” that we would complete the project. In the Presentation of Gifts, I recognized the solid “tripod” of our project team: our Gateways Team Leaders, our Architect James Chai, and our Contractor Jim Visbeen. This was very special for me, for I have seen up close, how Helene Ferm, Steve Parker, and Sandra Persichetti and the Gateways team spent thousands of hours over fourteen years on this project. They were then joined on the podium by seventeen other volunteers and staff. We truly could not have completed the project with this amazing team of building project supporters and fundraisers. They were touched by the standing ovation of all the members and guests present. Each received a plaque showing the modern Gateways Center in the foreground and our restored Thorne Oaks Mansion behind, under a glorious New Jersey sky and in the final days of construction. The plaque inscription reads: “In appreciation of your talent and efforts in transforming our vision to reality.” Throughout the ceremony, I had a stunning view from the podium of the overflowing Chu Family Hall, the good cheer, the folks outside on the courtyard, and children in the playground. To all the members and friends who trusted this team and gave your support over the years, thank you for celebrating this wonderful day with us. We now can look forward to living into our space, to envisioning and acting on our dreams for the future. Thank you all for your support, talent, and efforts in transforming our vision to reality. Sincerely, Paul Ferm President of the Board of Trustees

The service auction officially ended at midnight on Sunday, November 24. Thank you to the many members and friends who contributed by offering an event or item for sale, bidding on an item, or volunteering to help with the auction. The auction team is now reviewing the results and, in the next few days, will send each of you an email statement of your winnings and a record of who purchased an item from you or paid for a seat at an event that you offered. Pick up your winning items on December 8 during coffee hour. Invoices will be available and you will be able to settle your accounts at that time. Payment options will include check, Realm and Venmo. Please reach out to serviceauction@muuf.org for questions or concerns.