Celebrate the Winter Solstice, a Full Moon, AND a Lunar Perigee (when the Moon is closest to the Earth). Afterwards, we will enjoy hot cocoa and cookies. The service is open to the public, so bring your friends and family.

This is a tradition at UUFC where the younger children and families are treated to readings, stories, and carols of the season. Please bring new mittens or gloves for our mitten tree.

Join us in celebrating the spirit of Christmas in our traditional Lessons and Carols candlelight service. Everyone is invited to bring canned goods wrapped in white paper to be donated to a local food pantry.

As we enter a new year, and according to some, a new millenium, we are again dealing with issues of keeping or not keeping our resolutions. In this struggle we are confronted with often subtle forces hat seem to constantly sabotage our efforts. In this we are dealing with fundamental issues of self esteem and how we can be enough. We will look at underlying problems in perfectionism and the help we may find in seeking the wisdom of excellence instead. This sermon was the Golden Oldie which received the most votes.

Ever since the Y2K dilemma came into greater awareness, we have anticipated this particular turn of the annual clock. The usual New Year excitement and revelry are now mixed with fear, trepidation, and over-cautiousness for what technological implications January 1, 2000, might hold. I have to ask, though, who will bear the responsibility: people as the collective, or their machines?

Christmas Eve Drop-In at Don and Pat Mohr's, Dec. 24 after 7pm service.

Bring in the Milleneum with a New Year's Eve Party at the home of Loren Freed and David Roof, 436 Cromer Rd. in Lexington. Festivities begin at 6pm. Bring your favorite holiday dish. Wear clothes. Bring a bathing suit (if you are a polar bear). Children welcome. Stayovers optional if you don’t want to drive home late. Maps available at UUFC.

Notice to all Religious Education teachers and Parents - there will be no elementary RE classes on December 26 or January 2. Children will attend service with their parents. Nursery care will be available for children three and younger. Check the Teen bulletin board for information about the Junior and Senior High groups, which will meet on January 2. The RE newsletter will come out the week of January 3 with information on January classes. Our theme for January will be Hinduism.

The Finance Committee wishes to remind members that pledges for the UUA/TJ dues were made for the 1999/2000 fiscal year. Payment of these dues by the congregation, in general, are not up to date. Please consider paying these funds before the end of the year to get ourselves up to date and to take advantage of tax deductions.

Thank you to Wendy Squires and Gerald Knightson for the donation of poinsettias for the sanctuary.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to the special collection for the minister's discretionary account. You gave $728!

Do you want to know more about the ideas, and nuts and bolts of UU worship? Want to know more about UU theology? In this nine-week adult religious education course Rev. Patrick Price will again lead learners in exploring the basic concepts and techniques of the theology, theory, and practice of worship in a Unitarian Universalist context.

The materials fee is $30 and will be waived upon request. Advance registration with the office is encouraged. Regular attendance by all participants is important to get the most from this course. Child care may be available, but must be requested in advance by January 8. For more information contact Rev. Price.

The Columbia Museum of Art is featuring an exhibit called "Arts in Healing." One of the exhibitors is our own Martha Usatine. The exhibit can be seen until the middle of January.

If you have any questions or comments about this issue, please feel free to leave a brief note in the Worship Committee box, or via email to Heather Cunningham at heather@lfs-sc.org.

Stay tuned to future Unigram items for more up-to-date information.

If you like putting words in the minister's mouth, I am auctioning a sermon topic to the highest bidder(s) as a fundraiser for the Fellowship. The minimum bid is $100 with bidding closing on January 31, 2000. I encourage you all to get together to pool your ideas and money. The sermon will be preached before August 2000. Submit bids to the office. Thanks, Patrick

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January 8: David Massengill

January 22: Steve Gillette and Cindy Mangsten

January 29: Vance Gilbert

For ticket information call 799-1746

7:00pm Winter Solstice Party/Spiral Dance

3:00pm Christmas Eve Service for Families

7:00pm Candlelight Service

8:00pm Drop in at Mohr's house

11:00am Sunday service, no R.E. classes

for elementary children

6:00pm Worship Committee

7:00pm Covenant of UU Pagans (CUUPs)

6:00pm New Year's Eve Party (call for directions: Loren Freed and David Roof)

8:00am Meditation in Library

9:30am Forum

9:30am Choir Practice

11:00am Worship Service

1:00pm Unigram deadline

Minister, Rev. Patrick Price

Administrator/ Newsletter Editor, Laura Ingram

Director of Religious Education, Susan Corbett

Youth Coordinator, Terry Murphy

Custodian, John Squire

President, Ann Johnson

President-Elect, Joe Kyle

Secretary, Noel Morton

Treasurer, Dave Sparrow

Board Members at Large: Sandra Carnesale, Don Cooper, Heather Cunningham, Dave Dickey, Betty Glad, Pat Mohr, Rusty Wenerick

Fellowship Office, (803) 799-0845

Voicemail boxes, #1 Rev. Price

#2 Laura Ingram

#3 Susan Corbett

CoffeeHouse: (803) 799-1746

FAX: 1 (815) 550-4740

email: UUFC@bigfoot.com

Webpage: http://uu.columbia.sc.uua.org