We have some exciting news "hot off the press" regarding our next big project for the children’s Religious Education program. Starting this Sunday, our kids are going to become editors, writers, and artists as we launch the creation of our very own Fellowship Magazine! This is a project for all ages, designed to be a collaborative, fun journey that aligns perfectly with our Unitarian Universalist spirit of creativity and community expression. When is this happening? This project will take place during regular class time over the next few months. We aren't rushing the creative process! We plan to dedicate 2 or 3 class sessions to this project, spreading them out so we have plenty of time to write, draw, and create. The First Class: This Sunday! We are hosting our official "Kick-Off" session this week. Here is the plan: Show-and-Tell: We will explore exactly how magazines are made, using copies of Highlights for a little nostalgia and inspiration. Brainstorming: The main goal this week is to decide on the content. What do the kids want to say? What stories about the Fellowship do they want to tell? We have handouts and art supplies ready to go. Rachel Barry, an expert in trade book publishing with over 20 years of experience, is leading this exciting effort. Her background, which includes her current role as Director, Marketing and Publicity at Highlights for Children, makes her the perfect guide to help our junior journalists craft their vision from the initial brainstorming session all the way to the final "published" product. We can’t wait to see what the kids create. See you in class this Sunday for the editorial meeting!

When we do a UU Common Read together, we share in reflection, learning, and action. A Common Read can take us on a powerful journey into what it means to be human and accountable in a world filled with both pain and joy. https://vimeo.com/1090217855?fl=pl&fe=sh Common Read 2025-26: Social Change Now! The 2025-26 UU Common Read is Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection by Deepa Iyer (Skinner House). Unitarian Universalists are invited to explore Iyer’s work through the lens of our UU faith and shared values. Participants explore Iyer’s Ecosystem model, the roles that comprise it, and how these can support the congregational community and, in turn, our role in wider communities where we work with others for social change. Sign Up to Join the Common Read There are three options for friends and members of the Morristown UU Fellowship. Multigenerational Workshop for Children and Families led by Nick, our DRE . Based on Social Change Now  and Deepa Iyer’s children’s book, We Are the Builders! Three active workshops invite all ages to experience learning synergy together. In person Meetings from 10 am - noon on Saturdays. April 11 April 18 May 2 Discussion/Reflection for Adults and Older Youth  led by Nick and Rev. Sasha . Three sessions in a small group ministry format offer reflection, discussion, and group work to apply learning from Social Change Now  to the congregation as a social justice ecosystem. Hybrid meetings from 5:30-7pm on Thursdays March 19 March 26 April 2 Discover the book with your group. Three sessions, a study guide and guidance from Nick and Sasha to lead with your own group. You pick the people, the time and venue that works for you in March and/or April. It is our hope that our entire congregation will join this discussion as we believe it is an important tool in creating the world we want to see.  Sign Up now and join the movement More information More information from the UUA. UUA Common Read Website . Information about the book from the Author. Deepa Iyer’s Website . See the congregations and peoples across the country doing this work. Check out the Map . Purchase “Social Change Now”. inSpirit Store Purchase “We Are the Builders!” children’s book. inSpirit Store * If you would like the Fellowship to order the books for you, please indicate on the sign up form.  Watch Introduction to Social Change Now! https://vimeo.com/1090219463?fl=pl&fe=sh The video, “Introduction to the UU Common Read of Social Change Now,” features the author, Deepa Iyer, in conversation with Nao Bethea, co-director for Lifespan Faith Engagement at the UUA (Vimeo, 30:47). Prepare to facilitate a Common Read program, by watching!

Let’s come together in community for this sustainable free exchange event. Share gently used items, find something new, and save objects from landfills. How it works: *Everything is freely given and freely received *Browse the exchange and take what you can use. There is no obligation to bring something in order to take something *If you are contributing items to give, please bring clean, gently used items. You will be provided a table or shared space to display your items at the end of the service.  *Please note that you are expected to be with your items during the swap. Items may not be dropped off, and all unclaimed items must go home with you. *Please take with you of you items that remain at the end of the swap *Everything is FREE! No money, no bartering, just gratitude and connection! Contact Nick with questions, register to reserve space here .

Join us at Chu Family Hall on Saturday, March 7th at 2:00 pm for the 4th annual talent show! We invite people with all different talents to participate, from dancing to singing and much, much more. You can sign up using this link or there will be a sign-up sheet in the Great Hall. We hope to see you there!!!

A lawyer, a globe-trotting musical coach, a sound engineer and a computer geek with six children walk into Chu Family Hall and… Well, you have to come to the Celebration this Saturday from 6:30 – 9:30 to find out what happens! Q: What kind of music does First Take! perform? A. First Take is an a cappella quartet specializing in modern barbershop harmony arrangements of classic songs, showtunes and American Standards. The quartet was awarded second place silver First Take is committed to the idea that the artform of vocal harmony is strengthened by involving as many people as possible. By prioritizing performance opportunities that will allow the quartet to connect with those who share a love of harmony, First Take hopes to foster the curation of spaces where people can socialize and enjoy singing together. (ALSO: they are very funny.) Medals at the 2024 Barbershop Harmony Society International Quartet Competition. Q: “Curation of spaces where people can socialize and enjoy singing together” – doesn’t that sound perfect for the Fellowship? A: YES! Q: How do I get my ticket? A. CLICK HERE – or call Katy if you need a different option. Q: What’s the schedule for the evening? A. ALSO CLICK HERE – where you can also get the details of the evening, AND buy a ticket. Q: How do I see and buy the art? A. Peruse – and bid on our 11 works of art here till Saturday night at 9 pm , whether or not you come to the party! But you will want to, just to see the art in person – including our 3 pieces that you can ONLY bid on in person that night! Q: Will this be dinner or just snacks and hors d’oeuvres? A. BOTH – Load up on offerings from Cartisan Cheese + Charcuterie starting at 6:30, then head into Chu Family Hall at 7:00 for Mauritian samosas from Petite Île , and handmade dumplings and sushi from our own Chef Diana Hart! Plenty of savory stuff to fill your belly, but no worries if you want to “just pick”! Q: Is there DESSERT? A. YES - at Intermission there will be artisanal chocolates from TeaTimeChocolates , and canollis from Chef Diana! Q: What’s to drink? A. Wine and Prosecco and non-alcoholic drinks! With coffee and tea at Intermission to go with your dessert. Q: Do you need help? A: YES – click here to volunteer to help, or contact drww@muuf.org . Q: Why are we doing this? A: To celebrate together that we have made a miraculous transformation of our indoor and outdoor spaces and having even more fun that we ever dreamed, inside and outside our Mansion and the Gateways Center. Q: Why are we doing this? A: Mortgage Prevention! To come as close as we can to raising the remaining $190,000 needed to pay off our construction loan without a residual mortgage. Q: Where can I contribute just a little more to Mortgage Prevention? A: Right here . Make a gift now or pledge a future gift to be completed anytime between now and August 2027. Contact Shari Loe at drww@muuf.org to learn more.

The Unitarian Universalist Association’s Green Sanctuary 2030 program provides structure, leadership, and support for UU faith communities to engage in ambitious environmental and climate justice action. Congregations are encouraged to submit Action Reports on their progress in the Four Essentials for Climate Action. To receive recognition, congregations must report progress in all four essentials within one calendar year. On February 11, David Horst submitted an Action Report describing progress in three of the four essentials: Congregational Transformation, Mitigation, and Justice. To earn Green Sanctuary recognition in 2026, our congregation needs to complete a meaningful action that strengthens community resilience. The Green Earth Ministry (GEM) welcomes your input as the congregation chooses a project to strengthen community resilience in 2026. Please send suggestions to gem@muuf.org  or speak with a member of GEM during the Volunteer Fair or Social Justice Fair this spring. More information about Green Sanctuary 2030 is at https://sidewithlove.org/green-sanctuary-2030 . The Green Sanctuary 2030 Handbook defines community resilience as “cultivating communities of care to prepare for and respond to climate disruption.” The Handbook lists the following steps toward strengthening community resilience: Understand how climate change harms your community—who, how, and where. Understand the strengths and challenges for the ecosystem in your area. Cultivate spiritual, relational, and infrastructural strength to prepare for and respond to climate disasters. Create spaces to nourish your spirits by connecting with nature, art, and each other. Collaborate with community partners to strengthen community resilience and care. The Green Sanctuary 2030 Handbook defines five approaches to support congregations in their climate action. UU congregations have reported more than 100 actions to strengthen community resilience, as listed in a searchable database . Among those actions are securing a ban on natural gas hookups to new buildings in a small town, co-sponsoring a climate teach-in, helping to organize a summer camp for teens, performing a neighborhood clean-up, organizing a book discussion series, providing homeowners in marginalized communities with information about subsidies to reduce their energy costs, funding home weatherization and appliance upgrades through a local Habitat for Humanity, establishing a native plant garden for pollinators, restoring a community garden and donating the produce to a food bank, setting up a composting station,  and promoting plant-based eating.   The Green Earth Ministry requests your input as the congregation identifies a project that will strengthen community resilience in 2026.

March 2, 6 pm : Movie: Edge of Seventeen (1998): Set in the summer of 1984 Ohio, this coming-of-age movie is about the insecurities and desires of a high school senior at the moment when gender-bending pop stars like Boy George and The Eurythmics' Annie Lennox were displaying androgynous images. A small donation is asked to contribute to our use of the Fellowship. And you're welcome to join a small group at a local diner afterward to continue the camaraderie! March 9, 6pm : Artificial Intelligence: Real Stupidity?: Join us this evening as we review several video presentations on artificial intelligence, covering both its potential benefits to humanity and the existential threat it poses. We will enjoy a lively discussion on the topic after our videos. Refreshments, parking, and fellowship are always free, though a small donation helps us to put another log on the virtual fire to share a warm cuppa in a friendly, bot-free safe space. You're also welcome to join a small group at a local diner afterward to continue the camaraderie! March 16, 6 pm : March History: Whether you're a history buff, a nature lover, or enjoy cultural celebrations, you'll discover something new to appreciate at this meeting. We'll see some videos exploring the Ides of March, the 1932 Lindbergh baby's kidnapping from Hopewell, NJ, and discuss events that shape our world, all based in March. What is the likelihood of finding a four-leaf clover? (One in 5000!) Join our loyal group at 6 PM and perhaps venture out to a local diner to continue the camaraderie afterward. A small donation is collected to keep the heat on. Mar 23, 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, March 20 to Gordon Sauer at president@gaamc.org . Mar 30, 6 pm : The Joys of Aging: Come join us as we discuss how we feel about being our current age, what’s important to us, and what’s it like to be an LGBTQ+ older adult. We’ll also view and discuss a video on living our best lives as older adults. A small donation is asked to contribute to our use of the Fellowship. And you're welcome to join a small group at a local diner afterward to continue the camaraderie!

We are thrilled to announce that we are expanding our mission at MUUF by offering our very first evening session of Days for Girls Kitmakers! To better accommodate everyone’s busy schedules and keep our production growing, we will now gather on the 4th Monday of each month  for two distinct sessions. You can join us during our traditional morning slot from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM , or drop by for our brand-new evening session from 6:15 PM to 8:15 PM . We are looking forward to seeing both our dedicated regulars and some fresh new faces as we work together to support menstruators around the world. To help things run smoothly, we are aiming to have a balanced group of 8 to 10 participants  in each session. If any of our usual daytime volunteers find the evening slot more convenient—or simply want to help us balance the numbers—please let us know! Spreading our attendance across both times makes life much easier for Sarah, our resident "sewing guru," ensuring she can provide the best guidance to everyone at the machines. Whether you are a pro or just starting out, your presence helps us maintain a manageable and productive environment for everyone involved. For those new to the project, the Days for Girls (DfG) Pad is a washable, reusable, and beautifully designed menstrual health product built to last for up to three years. The design features a protective shield and absorbent liner backed by a decade of global feedback and the latest menstrual health research. It is a truly sustainable solution that provides dignity and reliability to those who need it most. Please remember to bring your sewing machine  and join us this coming Monday to help us stitch together a brighter future. For more information or to RSVP for a session, please email dfg@muuf.org . We can’t wait to see you there! Best, Diana & Sarah

Get your tickets here! Sign up to help here! WHY CELEBRATE? OUR FABULOUS IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CAMPUS! And…. Your previous Generosity … Since 2014, we have received almost 300 pledges for a total of almost $8.5 million ranging from $50 to $2M, which has allowed us to transform the property with phenomenal results! This is all because of YOU! $190,000 left to raise as of February 1. Members are Key: We have visited or emailed almost all members, many of you multiple times. As we bring the campaign to a close, we have also reached out to alumni and friends. We have invited the neighbors to our Celebration (with a $20 discount and without “asks”!). We are reaching out to partners such as the Folk Project, GAAMC and the Morris Museum, and have invited our contractors and other vendors. We are also promoting the art auction and the party to elements of the public who love art and choral music and gourmet food! Please consider one more gift before the close – click here . Wherever we end up - this is it- time to celebrate! Eat food, listen to talented young singers, be amazed at the artistic talent of our fellow members and buy some art! The works are donated and so every penny will go straight to Mortgage Prevention! The public is eligible to bid on the silent auction, which you can browse and then start bidding at 8:00 am on Saturday, February 21! But there’s also a LIVE AUCTION for the 3 works featured in this article! Only at Glitter and Song, only in person, so get your tickets today! Range of starting bids across all 14 artworks, variety of styles and media to inspire all who participate! As a reminder – here’s a taste of the music! (The Trolley Song from Meet Me In St Louis) Food and wine! There will be wine and Prosecco and other drinks! The food will include charcuterie from Cartisan, Mauritanian samosas from Petite Île, both local chefs brought to us by Morristown’s own Rising Kitchens, and Chef Diana’s famous Asian-inspired cuisine including dumplings and sushi! The there will be music – and DESSERT at intermission! TeaTime Chocolates from Rising Kitchens, and Chef Diana’s amazing cannolis, with tea and coffee to go with. Beautiful people – MUUF folks and friends all glittered up for this gala evening! Get your tickets NOW! The suggested price is $125 - BUT members pay what is comfortable - and please volunteer to help out at the Fellowship throughout the year! Or help out that night! Bring friends! You can offer friends that flexible members’ price, or invite them to use code Friends20 for $20 off. OR buy VIP tickets at $225 – even fill up a VIP table for 8 for $1800! We also need sponsors for the following: Photographer $800 Paper Goods $450 Charcuterie $2400 Miscellaneous – unlimited, starting at $200 and up. Sponsors get a mention in the program, acknowledgement at point of placement (like the table with the chocolates), and the satisfaction of getting us that much closer to the goal! Contact me at drww@muuf.org to learn more.

As announced in a Newsletter article  on 1/1/26, the previous minister of Sinfalva, Rev. Denes Pálfi has retired.   Rev. Pálfi has informed me that his replacement, at least temporarily, will be Rev. Mihály Bálint. For the time being the new minister will share duties with another village. It is still possible that a full-time replacement will be assigned to Sinfalva, but it is not certain. Other villages already share ministers, depending on the size of the congregation and whether it is growing or shrinking. I have written an email to Rev. Bálint, introducing ourselves and emphasizing that we hope to continue this 30+ year relationship. It was interesting writing the first contact letter, and comparing the experience to the first contact made with Rev. Pálfi in 1993. Here is the original letter  (Realm link, you may need to log in) in English by Paul Ratzlaff. Here is the letter in Hungarian , translated by my mom, to ensure that it is correct and polite. Both letters are displayed in the Partner Church Corner in the Library. My experience this time was very different. My mom is not here to translate now, but Google Translate is. I simply wrote the letter in English, pasted it into Google Translate, and then looked at the translation. It was excellent Hungarian, but written in the informal form (like “tu” rather than “vous” in French). It would have been like starting the letter “Hey, Rev, old buddy, what’s up?” I looked in vain for a formal/informal switch but then saw a suggestion, start the letter with a formal salutation, and that signals Google Translate. So, I added “Honored Rev. Balint” at the beginning, and, wow, it worked! Immediately I got the same letter, but politely formal. Amazing. The transition to the next phase of our relationship is underway. I’ll write other newsletter blurbs as things happen. Anyone who would like to learn more about this connection and participate in it is welcome to contact Gabor Kiss. Proficiency in Hungarian is NOT required!

The Unitarian Universalist Association’s Green Sanctuary 2030 program provides structure, leadership, and support for UU faith communities to engage in ambitious environmental and climate justice action. The program defines four essentials for climate action: Congregational Transformation, Mitigation, Justice, and Community Resilience. Congregations are encouraged to submit Action Reports on their progress in the four essentials throughout the year. Congregations that report progress in all four essentials within one year may request recognition. Click here for more information about Green Sanctuary 2030 . On February 11, David Horst submitted the Fellowship’s first Green Sanctuary 2030 Action Report. The report relates how our congregation resolved to take action against the climate crisis and then planned, raised money for, and oversaw the construction of a solar array on our building addition. This first Action Report cites progress for three of the Green Sanctuary 2030 essentials: congregational transformation (through passage of a resolution and fundraising), mitigation of climate change (by using solar energy rather than fossil fuel to supply electricity), and justice (through avoidance of harmful air pollution).  Although the entire congregation was involved, the following individuals are recognized here. Donors Linda DeLap Kathi Caccavale Jo Sippie-Gora Gabor Kiss Helene and Paul Ferm Annette and Toby Tyler Lenders Tom and Donna Perch Shari Loe Tom and Leslie Moran Dave and Janet Horst Bob Calafiore Don and Diane Marks Helene and Paul Ferm Barbara Castellana Stasiak Participants/ Supporters Helene Ferm Gary Gu George Hays David Horst Steven Humphreys Don Marks Steve Parker Sandra Persichetti Shari Loe Jim Stevenson Toby Tyler

The Biochemistry Literacy for Kids Program, has launched two separate courses in the past several weeks. There is a children's course, which launched Sunday evening, February 1st, with 4 students. We have had the invaluable assistance and collegial presence of Gabor Kiss in the classes. Having Gabor on or Don Marks, if Gabor is not available on a given Sunday evening, helps this program meet the UUA guidelines for the safety of young people in a virtual classroom setting. That being said, Gabor brings much more to the class, and we are grateful for his presence. The second class, which launched on Tuesday, February 17. Was an adult class that spun off from the interest in the kids' class. We have 4 participants there, Michael Hacher and Gary Gu from the Morristown UU Fellowship. We have an old friend of mine, Bill Slezak, from the Essex County and Montclair congregations. I know Bill mostly through UU FaithAction NJ, where we served on the Board for a number of years together. Bill just likes the subject, as do others. Finally, a case that I am delighted to have. Donte Hatcher of Allentown, PA, is a young man whom I know through my work in NJ-Prison Justice Watch (NJ-PJW), working to force the State of NJ to properly implement the Isolated Confinement Restriction Act (ICRA). Donte has felt the impact of isolated confinement personally. He suffered it. I am so glad that he sees fit to take this course. Our Kids class switched gears, and instead of targeting 24 lessons in 24 sessions, we have decided to go at a pace that allows for what we hope is a high degree of mastery. If we need to continue the course into the Fall, we will do so. We will, of course, take the summer off. That does not mean that we will not be starting a course from lesson 1 in the Fall. We will do so. That is a message for those young people who might have wanted to take this course this year, but did not, for whatever reason. So, we may have two Kids classes running concurrently during the year. We were also excited to launch the adult course. The adults seem well oriented to the material, and in this case, we probably will be able to finish the course in 24 sessions. I think it would be possible to join the adult course now, if you still want to. Speak to me if so. -Tom Moran