Greetings CTU members and friends,
We made it to December! The warmth of the sun has felt extra healing this last month. As many of you know, my daughter Erica and I had COVID but have since fully recovered and were grateful for a mild case. I encourage everyone to stay safe during the upcoming festive season.
Our theme for the month of December will be “Stillness”, and we’ll have much to explore and ponder. Note the details below about our Festive Service on 13 December at 3 pm at Green Point Park.
Lastly, we will conclude our pledge campaign on 15 December, so see details below to make a donation. Thank you for considering supporting our beloved community.
I’m sending you all love and light along with prayers for joy and peace.
With light and love,
Rev. Nima
nimajanettaylor@gmail.com / WhatsApp number: 0760249120
UPCOMING SUNDAY TOPICS
6 December – Finding stillness within with Buddhist practices: In this hectic world that shouts at us from all directions, we can find solace in an inner stillness that is always with us. Nima will share some Buddhist teachings on stillness, and we will explore some practices to calm our mind and our body.
13 December – Festive Service 3 pm: There will not be a regular 10:30 am service this Sunday. Instead we are meeting in the park for a festive picnic and socially distanced fun time. We will also be collecting items for the Ons Plek girl’s home. See below for items needed. Contact Nima that day at +27760249120 to locate us in the park.
20 December – Finding stillness in nature: As we prepare for the Summer Solstice, how might we explore the special stillness that can be found in nature? Stay tuned for more information.
27 December – Burning Bowl ceremony: We will modify our usual burning bowl ceremony to each find a way to create a small fire-proof bowl for creating a ritual for letting go of whatever is holding us back, and preparing a way forward to 2021.
2021 PLEDGE CAMPAIGN
We are excited to have everyone participate in our pledge campaign, which runs until 15 December. It helps us manage our budget to have a consistent source of income each month, and pledging is key to this goal. Please email Elspeth the following information if you want to pledge in 2021. Thank you!
• Your name and pledge amount
• Is your pledge weekly or monthly?
• Will you use a pledge envelope, stop order or EFT?
• Your phone number and email address
COMMUNITY NEWS
New Gutters Our new gutters have been installed at the building! We’re thankful that money from The Hibbert Trust and a bequest from Ivan Baard’s estate allowed us to fund this upkeep. A huge thanks to all involved with this gutter work, especially Fred Benning and Celeste Esau.
UPCOMING EVENTS
CTU Socially-Distanced Festive Gathering on 13 December 2020
Join us for a fun afternoon for our Festive service this year! We'll meet at 3 pm on 13 December near the fenced Playground in Green Point (see red dot on map). Bring your own picnic and games. We will collect donations for Ons Plek Project, which is caring for 35 girls.
Following is a short list of possible donation items.
The complete donation list is here on the organization’s website. Dry beans, pasta, peanut butter, jam, milk, tea, coffee, mayonnaise, washing powder, Sunlight soap, bleach, toiletries, toilet paper, shampoo + conditioner, body lotion, vaseline, erasers, black pens, blue pens, red pens, pencils.
5 Dec. , Sat. • 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. : Chalice Circle Mowbray
All are welcome. This group meets once a month to reflect on a specific spiritual principle. This month's topic is healing. Email Natalie Billings for info and materials.
6 Dec. , Sun. • 12 - 3 p.m. : Lay Leaders Program
Rev. Roux Malan continues the third of his three-part series on social justice. All are welcome. Zoom ID: 981 0533 9711 // Passcode: 942394 . Please email Nima for info.
13 Dec., Sun. • Noon : Durban Fellowship End-of-year Gathering
Email Carol for more information about the gathering or visit the Durban Unitarian website. Services will resume on Sunday, 24 January, 2021, at 10:00 am, and thereafter on the second and fourth Sundays of the month. Meeting topics TBD.
17 Jan., 2021, Sun., • Noon : Next CTU Council meeting
If you would like to attend as an observer, or would like Council to discuss a topic, please contact Leigh Meinert.
7 Feb., Sun. 10:30 a.m. : New Members Sunday
On this day we will welcome our new members. We invite our fellow Unitarians in Durban and Johannesburg to consider becoming honourary members of CTU. We have been overjoyed having you join us this year on Zoom! Please contact Nima to learn more.
The Somerset West and Johannesburg Unitarian Fellowships are not meeting at this time.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
29 November General Meeting Recap
Our council chair, Leigh Meinert, led a special general meeting to review our progress in 2020 and our strategic goals for 2021. Note that we have chosen Nexia for our audit for 2019 and 2020, and both audits will be presented at our May 2021 AGM. You can read the full meeting recap here on our website in the news section. If you’d like a copy of the 2020 and 2021 strategic goals, please contact Elspeth.
2021 Youth Religious Education Project
Martha Holmes, Shelley Adams and Rev. Nima have been meeting to create a monthly program for the kids in 2021. Stay tuned for more information.
Buy a Cape Town Unitarians t-shirt
Buy one shirt and get one free! T-shirts are for sale for R150 each. Contact Celeste Esau via WhatsApp at 0824338815 to place your order.
Donate to Cape Town Unitarians Though we are not holding in-person services, our running costs are the same. We would be grateful if you could EFT a little extra this month to compensate for the in-person collections that we can’t take:
Standard Bank, Unitarian Church
Branch 051001, A/C # 070440719
Swift Code: SBZAZAJJ
If you are struggling financially or emotionally, please let Rev. Nima know so that our Pastoral Care Team can provide you with as much support as we can. Thank you.
NOVEMBER COUNCIL MEETING NOTES
1. Thanks to funds from the Hibbert Trust and a generous bequest from Ivan Baard, our church has had the gutters replaced and is undergoing a beetle floor treatment. We will not be back in the building before January 2021.
2. Our Financial Report
a. This financial year saw us cut our operational deficit by almost half but we still required a hefty drawdown from investments. The proposed 2021 budget will reduce the drawdown to R200 000.
b. Council has called a Special General Meeting of members to report on the audit, 2021 budget and strategic priorities on 29 Nov. at 12h00.
3. Council hopes to appoint the administrator by the end of November, to start in Jan. 2021.
4. An 8th Principle WhatsApp group has formed to review and revise an 8th principle suited to SA. Please message Leigh if you would like to be included.
CTU COUNCIL MEMBERS
Melanie Ferreira, Secretary: 081-790-8030
Eduan Hauman, Treasurer: 083-580-2038
Martha Holmes, Member: 072-521-4504
Leigh Meinert, Chairperson: 082-408-4525
Laura Pohl, Member: 060-488-0372
Nima Taylor, Minister: 076-024-9120
Elspeth Muirhead, Church Secretary: 072-077-9911, elspethmuirhead@gmail.com