We hope that you have glanced at the Partner Church Corner in the MUUF Library and have examined some of the artifacts which we display there. It has been there for a number of years, pretty much unchanged. This year, as part of an overall cleanup and “refresh” of the Library we are refreshing the Partner Church Corner as well. Here is a picture after the refresh. In addition, we are dedicating it in honor of two long-time members who passed away recently, Don Price and Judy Oehler (see the two items below). We have had physical 3-ring binders with paper photos for people to look through. Here are the same photos in PDF form for you to look at whenever you like: Photos of First Trip to Sinfalva, Summer 1994 Photos of Second Trip to Sinfalva, Summer 1998 Here are some other photo collections which had not been displayed in the 3-ring binder but are being made available now. I will add captions to these collections in time. Photos of Third Trip to Transylvania, Summer 2001   Mostly of the Unitarian Headquarters in Kolozsvar, also some photos of the Unitarian Bishop Photos of Fourth Trip to Transylvania, Summer 2004    These are not in order. I took my 13-year-old (at the time) son Andras with me. We stayed in the church guest house, which had since been renovated In 2001 Gabor left some single-use cameras with the folks in Sinfalva. Here are the photos they made (three different cameras): Photos from Sinfalva single-use cameras 2001-2002 Here are some other photos sent by the folks in Sinfalva to us: Photos of wine-making and wall repair – 2005 Photos from Sinfalva – 2005 (More photos will be added …. ) Finally, though, no one it seems can hear the word “Transylvania” without thinking of Dracula. In fact, many are probably surprised that it is a real place, the “land beyond the forest”. Naturally, the Partner Church Committee addressed this enduring association, in a presentation called: Dracula: the Myth and the Man

If you have heard about and wondered about the connection between UU and Hungarian language and culture, here is a 15-minute video which Gabor made about just that. Our Partner Church congregation in Sinfalva, Romania are Hungarian-speaking Romanians. It is presented by the Hungarian Heritage Expo on Thursday 8/28. Use this link  to gain 1-day-only access for free. There will be several other presentations that day, including one about the wonderful  “Vizsla” breed of dog. These presentations are available at 9am, Eastern time (New York, US) on Thursday, August 28th for 24 hours: CULTURAL CONNECTIONS  What do Hungarians eat? What don’t Hungarians eat?  with Katalin Solymosi FILM TALK The “70 for 70” Commemoration Series: Celebrating the Hungarian Spirit and Saluting the 70th Anniversary of the 1956 Revolution  with Klaudia Kovács GENEALOGY Arcanum Newspapers in Action: Search, Filter, Discover with Kincső Biszak MUSIC My Lovely Hungarian Zither with  Laszlo Juhasz, Jenő Németh, and István Nográdi HISTORY  Unitarianism Hungarian Connection  with Gabor Kiss CULTURAL CONNECTIONS  All About the Vizsla  with Zsofia Miczek An All Access Pass will be available for purchase, which give access to all presentations for 6 months. Contact Gabor at gabor@muuf.org with any questions.

Ingathering, our annual service celebrating the start of a new congregational year, is this Sunday, September 14th. We’ll celebrate during our service with our Water Communion ceremony and a Backpack Blessing, and after our service with a potluck and a community art project. So be sure to bring: a little water from your summer travels or from home to pour into our common bowl, your backpack or book bag, and a dish to share! The pot luck will be in Chu Hall and the Courtyard at 11 a.m. after the service. See the potluck event in our newsletter or on our website for more details. Happy Ingathering!

Let’s Do It Again! This year, we made it easier for you to update your favorite Service Auction offerings! Just clink on the button below and follow the instructions! Instructions on re-offering a previous item: Need help/Questions? Contact serviceauction@muuf.org

Join us for several exciting events as we make our final push towards Mortgage Prevention. Stay tuned for a special announcement this Sunday 19 October 11:30 am - 12:30 pm Capital Campaign Focus Group Please join us in the Library for a discussion on the Capital Campaign. More details to follow. ... View Detail 15 November 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Stearns Matthews Concert Join us on Saturday, November 15th in Chu Hall for a concert featuring Stearns Matthews Concert to benefit the Mortgage Prevention Fund. Keep your eyes out for more details! ... View Detail 28 February All Day Capital Campaign Celebration Art Show and Sale with Nina Nemeth and Barbershop Quartet in support of the Capital Campaign’s Mortgage Prevention Fund ... View Detail No event found!

The following is UU Wayfinder, a Newsletter from UU World Magazine We all learn differently, and we can help each other learn. There’s strength in gathering in community to form our beliefs and identities as UUs. In many of our congregations, the ways we are guided toward revelations and experiences that deepen collective our faith are evolving to better meet the needs of more people. It can be daunting to figure out where to allocate resources and time. This issue of Wayfinder is devoted to decoding the science and art of UU religious education! Click on the picture to read each Article Learn how congregations are re-evaluating religious education programs to foster all-ages inclusivity and meet families where they are.  UU World Senior Editor Elaine McArdle spoke with UUs  who are leading the way. Try the ‘ Whole Church ’ method to build an environment “where faith formation is a shared congregational culture,” reports Aisha K. Staggers. In an essay, Cathy Seggel explains why “ intentional faith engagement for all ages ” is crucial for UU spiritual health. The Moment of Reflection  by Rev. William Ellery Channing is on the goals of religious education.

The Service Auction website is now open for your fabulous offerings! Check out our auction website . We will be also assisting members with our laptops during coffee hour. Need Help / Questions? Contact serviceauction@muuf.org Thank you so much for your generous donation!! For helpful instructions and there information, please go to the Service Auction Page on our website.

This summer I was nominated to join the Endowment Committee and have been pleased to learn what is has accomplished these last several years. I want to share what I’ve learned with you! Did you know that the Endowment Committee was established in 1994 to provide funds to be used to enhance both the physical spaces of our Fellowship as well as our programming. Contributions are invested to ensure the future financial security of the Fellowship and to provide for special projects in education, social justice and outreach. All funding is from donations. In addition to donations in memory of deceased members, individuals, families and friends of the Fellowship may honor a special occasion such as a birthday, anniversary, wedding, etc. Other donations come from bequests in people’s wills. And if you wish to make or update your deferred gift acknowledgement, there are blank forms on the table in the entry to the Meeting Room. Every January applications from the congregation are submitted to utilize the interest from the fund for a special project which the Endowment Committee will select and the Board of Trustees will approve. Grants that have been funded in years past include: Project Jump Start , a public relations vehicle Repairing and painting the windows at the front of the Fellowship building. Refreshing the Memorial Garden including plantings, pruning and clean-up. Purchase of patio furniture outside Chu Hall Upgrading the furniture in the Family Room of the Mansion Children’s science program “ Biochemistry Literacy for Kids ” In addition, last spring the Committee hosted a program with an estate attorney and a financial manager who spoke about wills and future directives. Donations in any amount are greatly appreciated and acknowledged. They may be made online at MUUF.org or placed in the Sunday collection basket with the designation to the Endowment Fund. – Elizabeth Bain

This Sunday is the Fall Equinox and, thanks to thanks to Bill McKibbon, it is also this year known as “ Sun Day ” – a day of sun celebration and action. MUUF has taken action with our solar array. Let’s celebrate and encourage more action! As noted on Third Act’s website : Sun Day is a day of action celebrating solar and wind power, and the movement to leave fossil fuels behind. Solar energy is now the cheapest source of power on the planet – and gives us a chance to actually do something about the climate crisis. But fossil fuel billionaires are doing everything they can to shut it down. We will build, rally, sing, and come together in the communities that we need to get laws changed and work done. Stop by the Green Earth Ministry table and tally up the ways you and your family have or are considering supporting the clean energy revolution!

The Morristown Fall Festival on the Green is coming up, and MUUF will be there! On Sunday, September 28, we’ll have a Fellowship table to share who we are with the wider community. We need volunteers to help staff our table throughout the day—chatting with visitors, answering questions, and representing our congregation with warmth and enthusiasm. Please sign up to take a shift and be part of this wonderful community event.

This fall, Green Earth Ministry (GEM) is joining a statewide postcard-writing effort to support candidates who will stand up for environmental protections. The goal is simple but powerful: to remind voters of the importance of electing Public Service Commissioner who care about clean air, safe water, and a healthy future for all. You can help by writing postcards to encourage voter participation. Here’s how it works: Each volunteer commits to writing  20 postcards  at home GEM provides the postcards, postage, and complete instructions Volunteers simply address the cards and add a short, specific message (following the provided script). Postcards must be returned to MUUF no later than  October 5 . Supplies will be available for pick-up beginning  September 21. Will you join us in this meaningful effort? YES! If the answer is yes,  sign up to join us. We only need TWO more volunteers!

ARE YOU READY TO “MEET THE MOMENT”?  UUFANJ WILL HELP YOU FIND A WAY. The next No Kings March and the UU Faith Action Fall Issues Conference have both been scheduled for October 18 th . Plans are being considered to incorporate the two events.  One of the plans is to condense the Conference schedule.  By doing so our event would end in time to enable our participants to join the No Kings event down the road starting at 2PM.  The perfect ending for a Fall Day of Social Justice.  Stay tuned for the final decision. Know Your Rights information will be handed out at the Conference. The IMMIGRATION JUSTICE TASK FORCE now has a rapid response thread on the Signal app.  We are encouraging everyone to sign up for the app.  Other task forces may be added to Signal in the future.  The Immigrant Trust Act is still the #1 priority of this task force.  UUFANJ donated $500 worth of $25 gift cards for groceries to be given to the families visiting their loved ones at Delaney Hall. The ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE TASK FORCE is still advocating for the passage of the Climate Superfund Bill which would make the major polluters pay for the damage they have done to New Jersey’s environment. Payments would be used for remediation. The CRIMINAL JUSTICE TASK FORCE is working on a number of important issues.  Some of them are: Monitoring of the “Arrive Together” program dealing with the use of force during encounters between law enforcement and the disabled. Reappointing the DOC Ombudsmen to serve beyond Murphy’s administration. Passing the “ NJ Rehabilitative Release Bill ” which enables elderly incarcerated persons who are serving lengthy sentences to request release if they meet certain criteria. Working with NJ-CAP , a coalition working to hold law enforcement officers accountable to the communities they serve. The REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE TASK FORCE has been active: Thrive NJ is preparing a pamphlet on Critical Pregnancy Clinics for vulnerable populations. There is a new Interfaith Alliance for Reproductive Freedom. The UUA has signed on. Jami Thall, a founding board member of NJPS (North Jersey Practical Support) , is pleased to announce that the organization is now on social media including Instagram and Bluesky. There is a national LGBT+ hotline still in operation. FRIDAY ACTION HOUR SEPTEMBER 19 th at Noon .  The UUFANJ administrators are open to suggestions for future Action Hours.  If you have a particular issue that you would like to see us address or would like to comment on an action/s, submit to admin@uufaithaction.org