Who We Are
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INFORMATION |
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Who We Are
GENERAL
INFORMATIONCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS
UUs come from Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and other
backgrounds.
UUs may be theists, atheists, or agnostics.
UUs may be conservatives, moderates, liberals, or socialists on economic
and social issues.
The values that the members of our church share are summarized in several
covenants.
Other activities include social justice forums and action on community and world problems; a women and religion program; Sanctuary--a theist group, dinner discussions and social action. A newsletter describing these events is published bi-weekly. You can receive the newsletter by signing the Visitors' Book at Sunday services.
Our 13 acres of natural woodlands in Cherry Hill were purchased in 1960 and the present facilities were subsequently constructed. Since 1971 this land has been developed as an arboretum with a wide variety of native and exotic plants and trees.
Our rich environment brings together the beauty of nature with that
of human creativity and worship.
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Growing out of expressed need and the desire to show concern and love, we have established a program to facilitate such expressions.
The Memorial Fund has been established to encourage individuals (often in lieu of flowers) to contribute a modest special gift in memory of the deceased.
Contributions received will be recorded in the Memorial Book, listing the name of the person in whose memory the contribution was made and the name of the donor. Acknowledgment shall be sent to the immediate survivor and to the donor.
All donations to the Fund will be held in a separate account. Disbursement from the fund may be made only by vote of the Trustees of the church and shall be limited to items of capital value. Appropriate notice in the newsletter shall be made when items are purchased from this Fund.
Contributors to this fund may not designate the manner in which their gifts will be disbursed. Designated memorial gifts are most welcome, but shall be handled through a direct arrangement between the individual donor and the Trustees.
Several members of the church community have joined together in the Lay Caring Group. Lay Caring’s purpose is to provide is to provide lay pastoral care for the church community. The Lay Caring Group recognizes members and friends who have something about which to be congratulated or who are in need of help. Accomplishments and words of comfort are frequently expressed in The Cherry Hill Unitarian Universalist (the UUCinCH Newsletter) as well private displays of support. If you or anyone you know have news to share or are in need of help, you may contact a member of Lay Caring through the Church Office. All discussions with members are conducted with an attitude of confidentiality. We activate networking in the church community for support for members ill and otherwise in need. We do not provide in-depth counseling; rather, active listening is employed.
If you or anyone you know has news to share or are in need of help, you may contact a member of Lay Caring through the Church Office.
Major Activities:
1. Meet monthly to discuss church members in need.
2. Network in the church through Lay Carers who are assigned to specific
neighborhood groups to provide support in the form of meals, transportation
and visits at home and hospital.
3. Send cards of sympathy, get well cards, etc.
4. Write columns in the newsletter about church members (note: verbal
permission is always obtained before anything is published about a member).
Please note: Membership in Lay Caring is by invitation only but we would
be happy to keep on file names of church members who wish to be helpful.
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In the early 70’s church members who had heard of extended family programs in other UU churches began discussing the possibility of beginning such a program at the Cherry Hill Church. On Memorial Day, 1975, many interested church members met at a member’s lakefront home. More than a hundred individuals expressed a desire to be part of the program and were organized into six extended families. Facilitators were appointed for each.
On January 23, 1977, a Sunday morning service was devoted to the Extended Family Program. This service provided us with glimpses of the personal satisfaction and meaningful experiences taking place within two of our six families. The service contained such interesting features as a slide presentation of family services, the recounting of events, the importance of children in the groups, and the concerned, ever present caring for each other.
The program thrived. Word of our success spread. We were highlighted in several newspaper articles including the Sunday, July 3, 1977 Today Magazine of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Since then the make-up of the families has changed. New marriages, geographical moves and changing needs brought adaptation. Two families’ membership decreased. Those remaining joined together, adding a few new members, and formed a new group. One of the families still exists almost as it was originally formed.
Although the current families within the church are quite stable, there is always the possibility that new families might be formed. Those of us committed to the program would very much like to see this happen.
What Is An Extended Family?
Each of us belongs to a genetic family. For most of us this “real” family consists of parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, cousins, et al. We neither elected to belong to such a family; nor could we resign from membership if we wanted to.
In earlier, simpler times it was common for many members of a genetic family to live in the same community and to share a close relationship with each other.
In our fast-paced, mobile society of today, “real” families tend to become geographically dispersed and increasingly less involved with each other. For many people, this fragmentation of family life has resulted in the loss of those life-support functions once served by blood kin. The Extended Family is and intentional effort to find new ways of Meeting old and new needs.
An Extended Family is a group of people - diverse in ages, backgrounds, and circumstances - who voluntarily band together to achieve many of the benefits associated with membership in any kind of family. They do this by sincerely committing some modest amount of their time and energy to their network of friends through such things ass planned social activities, voluntary acts of caring and concerns, projects for helping, etc.
An extended family is not a commune, not an encounter group, not a convenience group for free baby-sitting, car pooling, or home repairs, and not a crisis intervention or mate finding group.
The Extended Family For Whom?
An Extended Family is for any who think they might find this kind of experience fulfilling. Typical families include young and old, married and unmarried, couples and singles, adults and children, happy, contented people and people experiencing a life crisis. In fact, it is the very diversity in the make-up of an Extended Family which provides opportunity for the enrichment of individual members.
One of the tenets of the Extended Family program is that everyone has something of value to give to others. The program encourages the sharing of oneself by bringing people together and providing opportunities for them to get to know and respect each other.
Joining an Extended Family indicates a desire to develop sustaining relationships with others. Over time, acquaintance deepens. Security and trust grow. With developing confidence and the cohesiveness of the group comes the desire and ability to disclose our honest selves and to let ourselves be known more fully. The wholeness of acceptance and sharing within an Extended Family creates a caring community. Older people, young children, and peers offer meaningful associations. Parents of young children, separated from grandparents, often want older persons to know and enjoy their children - to give them company in loving their children. Older people often are hungry for contact with young children and young adults
What Do Extended Families Do?
Each family chooses its own course, selecting activities that all can share and from which each participant can gain enrichment.
Definite meeting times are set to occur once or twice a month. clusters within the family may also wish to meet for some activity between regular meetings.
The scope of activities is limited only by the imagination of the family members. Picnics, potluck dinners, luncheons, holiday parties, shopping, slumber parties and other get-together among the children, car-pooling, weekend retreats, museum trips, a home or hospital visit to a confined member, and even shared vacations are typical.
Plans are balanced to include events for young children, teenagers, adult members only, and other groupings. Important friendships develop within the family over time. Sometimes just a telephone chat between two members can provide a welcome respite during the day. During a period of crisis, which from time to time may confront any of us, one or more members of the family may provide much needed support.
Individual members at different times experience happiness, excitement, joy as well as frustration and even anger. The range of emotions are what one would expect in a natural family.
How Does The Family Function?
Each family functions in ways designed to meet the desires and needs its members express. The duration of membership is voluntary.
Each family has a facilitator who coordinates family business. The facilitator communicates with members between get-together. The facilitator may act as a spokesperson for the family in coordinating activities with other groups.
Individual families number approximately 15 adults and their children, who participate as they like.
Persons interested in joining the program should call the program coordinator
or facilitator.
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Interweave has been an active committee since UUCinCH became a Welcoming
Congregation on June 4, 1995. It sponsors an annual Valentine's Dance,
theater parties and does a Sunday "Pride Service" every year in June. A
recent such service was titled "Our Kids Play with your Kids". Another
was on the "Right to Marry". Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered
individuals feel very welcome in our church and find this congregation
always receptive to these services. Current plans include starting a "Dessert
& Discussion" series with a typical topic being "Homophobia." Come
and check us out!
This is our formal mission statement:
Interweave is a membership organization within the Unitarian Universalist
Church of Cherry Hill that is dedicated to the spiritual, political, physical
and social well-being of UUs who are affirming the support of lesbians,
gay men, bisexuals and transgendered people, including our heterosexual
allies. Interweave celebrates the lives and cultures of its members, their
loved ones and allies. Interweave advocates the dissemination of this atmosphere
of acceptance and support to society.
Womyn and Religion’s purpose is to examine carefully religious beliefs and the extent to which these beliefs influence gender-role stereotypes, to put traditional assumptions into perspective.
Major Activities:
1. Solstice Celebrations
2. Wheel of the Year
3. 2 yearly services (Women’s History Month and Summer Services)
4. Personal growth/women’s empowerment
5. Education
6. Made over 50 toiletry baskets for battered women shelter
7. Feminist reading group
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Sanctuary is a gathering of church members and others whose religious beliefs include a belief in God. Because of the many diverse perspectives possible from the framework of Unitarian Universalist faith we are given new and different perspectives of faith each time we gather.
We come together in Unitarian House on the third Wednesday of each month and have sharing and discussion usually from 7:30 until 9:00 PM.
Please join us if you think our sharings may help to weave the tapestry of your beliefs.
We are a small group of pagans and witches who practice a polytheistic religion. Pagans worship the Mother, whom we call the Lady, and her Consort, the Lord, as we have since the dawn of time. There are many aspects of the Lord and Lady, and we celebrate their rituals using many names. We currently celebrate Full Moon Circles.
The Pagans have a workshop the second 
of every month, 7:30 PM in the Hillside Building lower level. We
have and will continue to have drumming circles and singing.
Newcomers are welcome at the monthly planning meetings, where we invite you to help us with the Full Moon Circles and to give us your suggestions on the direction of the group.
E-Mail Anita at Macha99@aol.com
or visit their web site
UU
PAGANS OF CHERRY HILL NJ for an updated schedule.
Members of the Buddhist Sangha of South Jersey are independent practitioners with the mission of introducing and supporting Buddhist practice in Southern New Jersey. The Sangha is non-sectarian and combine what is considered to be the best elements of the major schools of Buddhism.
The Sangha's practice centers on meditation and lovingkindness. The Sangha provides basic instructions on how to meditate and direct the mind towards goodwill for all living beings. Because it does not have a teacher, it networks with other groups in the area and helps members connect with visiting teachers for mindfulness retreats.
It's not necessary to give up your present religion in order to attend the Sangha. Members respect and support other religions and believe that there is no conflict between Buddhist principles and other religious beliefs.
The Buddhist Sangha meets every Sunday at 7:00 PM at UUCinCH in the lower level of the Hillside building. The liturgy consists of two 20-minute periods of seated meditation and several recitations on lovingkindness and the Buddha's teaching. On the 1st Sunday of the month an open discussion is substituted for the second sitting. Every 3rd Sunday a tape of a Buddhist teacher takes the place of the last sitting. The Sangha sponsors days of mindfulness several times a year and these usually feature a visiting teacher. Please call (609) 953-9215 for more information. This Sangha, in cooperation with the Buddhist Sangha of Bucks County has a website BUDDHIST SANGHA with more details on our practice.
This Sangha is affiliated with a sister Sangha which gathers every Monday at 7:00 PM at the Yardley Friends Meeting House, 65 North Main Street, Yardley, PA. Call (215) 369-5096 for more information.
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