Within the Ministry side of our Organizational Structure, Faith Formation, Religious Education and (internal) Community Building programming programs fall under the supervision of the Director of Lifespan Religious Education (DRE) and are organized by teams sharing their development and implementation. To continue to better support this vision, we are implementing three specialized Program Councils to act as supportive pillars for each respective ministry area. Working alongside the DRE, these councils will share accountability for developing, launching, and nurturing ongoing initiatives. Their overarching goal is to ensure that all fellowship offerings remain robust, engaging to members, welcoming to non-members, and deeply aligned with the organization's shared mission. The newly implemented specialized structures include the Children’s and Youth Faith Formation Council, which oversees age-specific programming for individuals ages 0–18, including Sunday RE, supplemental classes, and youth groups; the Adult Program Council, which coordinates diverse enrichment, educational, and social options for adults 18 and older; and the Congregational Life Council, which focuses on multi-generational, community-building events like Community Sundays and church-wide events to serve the entire fellowship. To effectively distribute this workload, each council will operate with a clear internal structure with important roles. Co-Chairs serve as the primary points of contact, running regular meetings and collaborating hand-in-hand with the DRE. A designated Secretary/Communications member keeps essential meeting records and interfaces directly with the Communications Team to promote upcoming events. Finally, At-Large Members bring unique perspectives to the table, serving as direct advocates and liaisons for specific programs within the fellowship. Empowering the DRE and Supporting Our Front-Line Teams It is important to emphasize that these councils are explicitly designed to act as a dual support system. First, they will provide crucial administrative oversight and collaborative partnership to our DRE so that programmatic decisions are deeply collaborative and sustainable. Second, and just as importantly, they exist to support and uplift the front-line teams doing the actual work on the ground —our RE teachers, discussion leaders, and event creators. Teams will retain the creative freedom to run their programs as they see fit. The Councils are not there to micromanage; they are there to carry the administrative weight of budgeting, coordinate publicity, handle staff communication, and clear the path so our volunteers can focus entirely on what they love doing. Look for Upcoming Meetings in July! To kick things off smoothly, we will be holding Informational and Organizing Meetings this July. These sessions will give everyone a chance to ask questions, learn how they can get involved as a council member or a team volunteer, and begin shaping our shared goals. By organizing during the summer, we can seamlessly support all of our ministry teams before the rush of the new program year begins this fall. Stay tuned for specific July dates and times—we look forward to building this exciting new chapter of community and learning together!

Please join us in warmly welcoming our newest members and several returning members: John and Happy Amein would like to express their deeply felt joy at spending last year in the Fellowship and as Happy and John proceed with their plan to relocate to their new home in Beaufort, South Carolina. for most of the year, they also plan to come back as often as possible to be with the amazing, welcoming, and inspiring people at MUUF. Tom Bronzini was a longtime member of the Chalice Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Thousand Oaks, California, before moving to New Jersey with his wife, Dorothy, to be near their son and his family. He is happy to have found a vibrant UU home here. Tom was a copy edior and news editor at the Los Angeles Times for 37 years. After retiring, he became a contributing writer to the Pacific Coast Business Times, covering the Central Coast wine industry in a monthly column. Wendy DeSarno lives in Denville, New Jersey, after moving from Astoria, Queens, where she ran a dog training business for many years before a recent mid-life pivot to mortgage lending. She enjoys jam bands, pickleball, camping at Lake George, and music festivals. This summer, she is excited to bring her son, Dylan, to his first moe.down, the very festival where his parents were married! Wendy looks forward to getting more connected at MUUF and is especially curious to see what Tom Moran might talk her into next. Amy Howard has been a resident of Morris Township for nine years. She has been a Unitarian for many years and joined MUUF in June 2025. She has one son who lives in upstate New York with his wife and daughter. She enjoys volunteering and visiting with friends and family. Arlise Leiby is a resident of Denville, NJ where she lives with her husband (John Yeung) and 4 year old daughter (Affinity/Fin). She is an Occupational therapist specializing in cognitive health. When she isn't managing the house, Fin's activities or her OT practice... Arlise loves to spend time with family & friends, photograph, take nature walks, swim and watch sci/fi shows. David and Barbara Long moved from Connecticut to New Jersey this past June to be close to their Nurse Practitioner daughter and family in Madison. Their Nursery School Proprietor daughter and family live in Duxbury, MA. They have five beautiful granddaughters ages eight to sixteen, who are the apple of their eye. They both love history including documentaries on Prime Video and Netflix. They would like to think that Thomas Jefferson was right in thinking all Americans would be Unitarian! Ene Oopik is often asked about her unique name. It is Estonian in origin, and is simply pronounced (with two “short e”s) as “e-neh”. She lives in Denville with her two cats and enjoys when her daughter takes a break from graduate school to visit. Although needing to pace herself given some health limitations, Ene is happy to participate in the UU community, whenever able, to interact with the thoughtful and kind people she meets here. Juliet Paul lives in Denville, NJ. She enjoys board and video games, camping on Lake George, and fun nail styles. She is a software engineer who works from home full-time. She never really connected with Catholicism growing up but felt an innate kinship for Buddhism in college. She really took to meditation and the Buddhist path for waking up to the interdependent, empty nature of reality. Come find her at coffee hour if you want to talk shop about meditation or gaming. Howard Pullman has lived in the Morris Plains with his wife of almost 45 years, Patty. He is an AT&T retiree who, after 30 years of working in engineering and finance, turned his passion for photography into a second career with the help of a commercial maritime publication based in Sweden looking for coverage in the USA and Canada. Patty Paulman has lived in the Morris Plains area since 1983 with her husband of almost 45 years, Howie. She is an AT&T retiree (she survived Divestiture!). She is about to start her third class at the New Jersey School of Dramatic Arts. You will be able to see a glimpse of her brilliant comedic timing at the “Preaching UU Values from the Broadway Pulpit” service on June 14 at MUUF. Nicole Spaldo lives in Flanders with two kids, Daphne and Caleb. She works as an occupational therapist and loves to garden and to be a Girl Scout leader. She and her family love to snuggle and watch movies. Mandy Velez Tatti s a resident of Morristown and works in the media industry in NYC. She loves spending time with her husband Zach, son Shiloh, who was dedicated at MUUF in April, and their dog Cannoli. She loves dessert, reading and Philadelphia sports and food.

Fourteen members attended one of our two budget review meetings last week. We had a good discussion and were able to answer most questions. Thanks to all who took the time to participate! Below are the questions which required some further clarification. Some suggestions were also received. You can find the budget summary here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/146SL6APpblUG15FfrAS9eyuNGmAWRMBf Questions Where did the $1000 for outreach go? The outreach funds in 2025/6 went to the Morristown on the Green day and to one-time expenditures in support of the recent website upgrades. The website costs were one-time and the Morristown on Green cost was moved to a different budget line. What was the reason for the Other (including interest) income coming in lower this year? The line for other income includes Matching Gifts. The families that in prior years did matching gifts, did not do so this year. How much of an increase in custodial hours came with the Gateways project (exclusive of rental support)? The increase in rental hours is approximately 3 hours per week -- sometimes 4. This does not include any non-recurring rentals or special events such as In Gathering, Annual Picnic, etc. Custodial costs for these are paid by the renter. Could we have a high-level breakdown of salaries? It is our policy to keep salaries confidential. We follow the UUA Salary guidelines which can be found here: https://www.uua.org/leaderlab/congregational-salary. Those guidelines provide us with market-based benchmarks for salaries. Jobs are categorized according to impact, responsibilities, and skills rather than simply by title. Churches are categorized by membership and geographic location/ cost of living. For support functions like custodial positions, we also look to living wage information for our region as recommended by the UUA. Over the recent years, we have made a lot of progress in bringing our salaries into alignment with these standards. We fall into Geo index 6 and between congregation size levels B and C. What is the 2026-2027 allocation for the Fun committee? Fun receives $600, is categorized as Stewardship, and is part of Congregational Life in the budget summary. Where does welcoming fit into the summary and what is the amount it receives? Welcoming is categorized the same as Fun and receives the following allocations for this year: New member gifts $200, Welcome events $300, Pamphlets $100. Suggestions It might be helpful to add projected pledge units to the pledge units received as of communication date. The projected pledge dollars are included in the budget. Projecting units is difficult, as at the time the budget is published, most of our established pledgers have pledged. The newer pledgers are more difficult to predict. We track pledge units and will have the correct number early in the year. Members departed vs members incoming would be useful information. I.e. More detail than just net value. This is not part of the budget process. Perhaps membership would be interested in providing this type of detail. Consider widening the list of people to reach out with pledge reminders. Pledge requests were sent to 180 pledge units. This includes all members and active visitors and friends. The board members make calls to members whose pledges have not been received as a reminder. This seems to be effective. It would be up to Stewardship to widen the list of callers if they want. Consider providing a “Basis of Presentation” section to the report that would specify how certain figures were derived. E.g. pledge income projection, pledge units projection, prior year adjustments, etc. Aim for standardization in reporting format. This year, the Finance committee made adjustments to the report format based on feedback from the congregation. We remain open to suggestions but would also aim to land on a standardized format. We’ll discuss it at our next meeting. It should be noted that our administrator/accountant, Katy Julich, is a constant over many different changes in lay leadership.

The second Sunday in June is our Annual Congregational Picnic Day! This year, on June 14th, after the Sunday service, we'll be celebrating together in community. There will be food, games, a bouncy house for kids, face-painting, and connecting with new friends and old. Bring a side dish and/or a dessert to share - we'll provide the burgers, dogs, and veggie burgers for a nominal cost ($5 per ticket, max $15/family). (Cold dishes are preferred so we don't have to keep anything warm.) Sign up to let us know your contribution here - even if you don't cook, you can bring a bottle of juice or soda to help us celebrate! (You're also quite welcome to come even if you don't bring something - we're happy for just your company as well.) We may even have an ice-cream sundae bar! We'll have a face-painting station for kids and adults this year. Kids will have access to a bouncy house (weather permitting) and we'll have games like cornhole toss available. If you have a fun game you'd like to bring along, let us know at board@muuf.org. Come join us in our annual Community event – we look forward to breaking bread (and all the other goodies our fellowship members and friends bring to share) with you!

Our congregational meeting will start this Sunday, June 7th, at 11:30am in Chu Hall after snacks and coffee. The Minister and Board President will be giving their annual reports, and we'll be presenting and voting on the Slate of Candidates for office, the Annual Budget for the 2026-27 program year, and the Endowment fund allocation. Please be on time for the quorum count so we can vote on these important items. If you cannot attend, please be sure to submit a proxy form for voting. We’ll also be installing our new officers and Board members, and honoring some of our amazing volunteers. The Agenda, proposed Budget and Endowment Allocation resolutions, Candidate Slate and Biographical sketches, and other documentation, including a summary document covering questions raised at our Budget information sessions, can be found in the documents folder at this link. See you at the Meeting!

Please use this link to sign up for a time to help staff the Fellowship table: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0D45AAAA2FA46-63972211-join

Flower Communion is an annual Unitarian Universalist ritual that celebrates the unique contributions each person brings to our congregation and the beauty of the gathered community itself. Each person takes a flower home with them from the service that represents one of their fellow congregants. All -- children and adults, first-time visitors and long-time members -- are welcome to participate. If you would like to bring a flower to share, we will add it to the beautiful bouquet representing our community. You may bring your flowers to the provided vases before the service, and everyone will be invited forward to select one in the Flower Communion ritual during the service itself. We look forward to seeing you -- and all your beautiful flowers! --- this Sunday!

June 1, 6 pm: ”The Rocky Horror Picture Show” Come join us for a fantastical journey into the life of a transsexual Frank Further and his eccentric friends. The movie is both campy and funny. It features a cameo by rock star Meatloaf and was one of Susan Sarandon’s first movie appearances. The movie was shown every Friday and Saturday at midnight at the 8th St Playhouse in NYC and was acted out simultaneously by the 8th St Playhouse group called Shadowcast. Refreshments will be provided, and a small donation is asked to contribute to our use of the Fellowship. You're also welcome to join a group at a local diner afterward to continue the camaraderie! June 8, 6 pm: Pride Come join us as we discuss Pride—past, present, and future. We’ll start by talking about Pride events that we have attended—past and present—and then discuss how Pride has changed over the years. We’ll also be updating each other on this year’s events and viewing and discussing a documentary on the history of Pride. And then we’ll talk about a majorly important topic—where we are now as LGBTQ+ people. Refreshments will be provided, and a small donation is asked to contribute to our use of the Fellowship. You're also welcome to join a group at a local diner afterward to continue the camaraderie. June 15, 6 pm: Historical June We usually look forward to June, the month of summer, the potential for relaxation, perhaps some travel. The month of June has historically brought its positives, but there were also negatives throughout the years. June 6 in 1944 is known as D-Day when Allied forces challenged Nazi invaders to begin World War II. On June 12, 1967, the US Supreme Court struck down the banning of interracial marriage in Loving versus Virginia. On June 17,1972, five men were arrested breaking into the Democratic National Committee Building, hereafter known as the Watergate Scandal. And, of course, the series of protests by the LGBTQ community in response to police raids at the Stonewall Inn in NYC, June 28,1969, lead to June as Pride Month. Join us at the Unitarian, June 15, at 6PM to celebrate Pride Month, to find out about the many interesting events that June, the month of Gemini and Cancer, the rose and pearl represents. Snacks and drinks are provided. And you are invited to go out to continue the discussion at a local diner. A small donation is asked to help pay the rent. June 22, 6 pm: The Florham Park Diner Enjoy good fun & food at a reasonable price! We’ll meet at the restaurant located at 182 Ridgedale Ave in Florham Park. Please rsvp by Friday, June 19, to Gordon Sauer at gordonjav@earthlink.net. June 29: The Time of Their Lives There's no more delightfully lighthearted way to celebrate the nation's upcoming 250th birthday than watching an Abbott & Costello comedy that begins in colonial America. Two patriots, played by Lou Costello and Marjorie Reynolds, are mistakenly shot and killed as traitors by George Washington's men, and their spirits are cursed to remain earthbound until the crack of doom - unless their innocence can be proved. Don't "ghost" us on June 29. Instead, come join us in watching this "spirited" comedy classic. Refreshments will be provided, and a small donation is asked to contribute to our use of the Fellowship. You're also welcome to join a group at a local diner afterward to continue the camaraderie!

The MUUF Buddhist Sangha is most pleased to have the Rev. Allen Wells lead once again our annual all-day summer meditation retreat in Chu Family Hall on Saturday, June 20 from 9 am - 5 pm. (A morning option is also available.) About the Retreat: "The Body as a Source of Revelation" Find your inner quiet at the summer’s solstice. An opportunity for beginners to learn insight meditation in a supportive setting and for experienced meditators to deepen their practice. We will explore five forms of meditation: concentration (shamatha), spacious awareness (vipassana), open awareness (shikantaa), loving-kindness (metta), and a process of somatic descent. There will be a dharma talk on “The Body as the Source of Awareness” and an opportunity for Q and A. The entire retreat will be held in Noble Silence, including lunch. Please leave your cell phone at the door and bring your own lunch. Tea will be provided. Please also bring a sturdy cushion if you would like to sit on a zafu (we have some extras). Sitting in a chair is also just fine. There is no fee for this retreat but there will be an opportunity for dana (generous offering) at the closing. Pre-registration is requested by June 18, 2026. Morning only attendance is permitted. To register and for more information, please visit the link below, or email meditation@muuf.org. About the Rev. Allen Wells: Allen teaches at MUUF's Buddhist Meditation Group and at the Buddhist Sangha of The Unitarian Society of East Brunswick. He is a graduate of the Study/Practice Program of The Barre Center for Buddhist Studies and is a UU minister. He has been practicing insight meditation for 30 years. Allen has also followed in pilgrimage the footsteps of The Buddha throughout northern India.

Sunday, May 31st from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. To attend, please reach out to Barbara Long to RSVP. Lunch is for adults and children, there will be an activity for children after lunch. Kindly respond by May 29th.

FROM SAMSARA TO NIRVANA Rev. Allen Wells Eight Tuesdays, 7 pm-9 pm, beginning July 14, 2026 at The Morristown Unitarian Universalist Fellowship 21 Normandy Pkwy., Morristown, NJ Welcome to a deeper exploration of dharma, exploration of Buddhist psychology and novel practices of meditation in order to de-stress your life. Become an ever more compassionate being, and thereby contribute to the peace and well being of sentient beings in this troubled time (samsara). Beginners as well as advanced practitioners are welcome as are all who are on the spiritual path. Be warned though that the dharma’s radical re-orientation may challenge our usual consensual conceptual conception of reality. This class will culminate eight related classes that Allen has taught at MUUF over the past ten years. There will be light homework and preparatory reading. You may come to classes as you choose but it is necessary to attend the first one because at this time we will establish the fundamentals of our course. For any questions please contact Allen at meditation@muuf.org RSVPs are requested by July 1, 2026 by contacting Lisa Hatala at lhatala@muuf.org Rev. Allen Wells is a Buddhist dharma teacher and Unitarian Universalist Minister. He is a graduate of The Barre Center for Buddhist Studies Practice Program and has taught meditation practices for 25 years. He is former Director of The Allen Wells Center for Psychotherapy and Healing in Morristown, NJ. Allen has also travelled to India to study at the places where The Buddha was born, enlightened, died and taught.

Please sign up to help organize and staff the Fellowship table. You can vote by proxy prior to the annual meeting. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0D45AAAA2FA46-63972211-join