Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
Greetings, CTU Members and Friends –
I hope you were as inspired as I was with our service with Dr. Wilhelm Verwoerd. I was particularly impressed with how clear he was with what actions are needed to create more social justice in our world. Here are some of his key points:
Connect with compassion: listen openly to hear others’ stories.
Convene small diverse groups where you can get to know others unlike yourself.
Cultivate trust in each conversation.
We want to explore the ideas in the Restitution Foundation’s “Toolkit”, which can be downloaded here. If you are interested in joining a group to help us explore some of these important ideas, contact Blanche.
As always, feel free to reach out to me if I can support you on your spiritual journey, or with any joy or sorrow you might be experiencing.
With light and love,
Nima
nimajanettaylor@gmail.com // WhatsApp number: 0760249120
UPCOMING SUNDAY TOPICS
4 April - Rev. Theo Mayekiso, Author of “Being Black: A South African Story That Matters” Rev. Theo will be sharing his insights growing up in Apartheid South Africa, and his subsequent work as a minister and his work as a social restitution activist.
11 April - Neuroscientist Karen Fitzgerald on Mindfulness Her current PhD project tested the hypotheses that attention and well-being can improve in novices with mindfulness meditation training. Her areas of interest are contemplative practices, artificial intelligence, neuro-imaging, and human brain mapping.
18 April - Who Are We Becoming? Based on the Karen Fitzgerald’s research, Nima will share some meditation practices that are designed to transform our relationship to our mind, which opens up a transformation of the way we experience ourselves and the world around us.
25 April - Annual Celebration of Our Elders and Ancestors We are working on an exciting new project that we hope to share at this gathering, along with allowing time for each person to bring a photo of an elder or ancestor in your life that has given you inspiration and support..
Nima will be speaking at the Oxford Unitarian service on 25 April at 12 pm SA time. They have asked her to speak on “Building a Beloved Community”. Contact drjuliepage@live.co.uk for the zoom link and passcode.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Wednesdays, 1:00-1:30 pm – Mid-Week Meditation: Join any Wednesday in April at this time for a short guided meditation then time to just sit, just breathe and just be. Email NimaJanetTaylor@gmail.com for the Zoom link.
10 April, Saturday, 3:00 - 5:00 pm – Chalice Circle Mowbray: This month’s topic is Commitment. Email nataliebillingsarch@gmail.com for more information and materials.
11 April, Sunday, 12:00-3:00 pm – Lay Leaders Programme on Zoom: Rev. Nima will be teaching the third of three classes on “Leading Services”. All are welcome. Zoom meeting ID: 981 0533 9711. Email community@capetownunitarians.org for the passcode.
UPDATES
Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash
Welcome to Our Lay Leaders
We are excited to announce that Council has selected five CTU members to serve as lay leaders to support our community and work with Nima on these important projects. Let’s congratulate these five amazing people!
International UU Building - Shelley Adams
Pastoral Care - Melanie Ferreira
Social Justice - Gur Mouanga & Celeste Esau
Social Activities - Hans Moolman
Special Services - Celeste Esau
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Young Adults Chalice Circle is Forming: Individuals between the ages of 18 and 40 are welcome to join a new group for members to collectively and actively assist one another to enrich their Body, Mind and Soul through group activities. The group activities build a purpose-filled sense of unity by engaging with a diverse group of like-minded individuals. Young Adults meet on a regular basis as per identified activity. For more information contact Johan Groenewald on 082 897 5000.
Donate to CTU Relief Fund for Food Vouchers
In this difficult time, we know some CTU members are having difficulty putting food on the table. We have started a relief fund specifically to buy and distribute food vouchers for our friends in need. Please consider donating by emailing community@capetownunitarians.org for more information.
2021 Youth Religious Education
On the first Saturday of each month, Youth classes will be held from at 3 pm - 5 pm. The first hour is for the younger kids (under age age 9) and the second hour for the older kids (over age 9). Contact Nima at nimajanettaylor@gmail.com to RSVP.
Donate to Cape Town Unitarians
Even though we are not holding in-person services yet, our running costs are the same. We would be grateful if you can EFT a little extra this month to compensate for the in-person collections that we can’t take. Here is our bank information:
Unitarian Church
Standard Bank, Branch 051001, A/C # 070440719
Swift Code: SBZAZAJJ
If you are struggling financially or emotionally in this time please let Rev. Nima know so that our Pastoral Care Team can provide you with as much support as we can. Thank you.
MARCH COUNCIL MEETING NOTES
Council discussed the fact that our materials and sources have primarily been American and Western and agreed we need to make a concerted effort to reflect our South African situation and social identity more authentically.
Based on the Lay Leader applications received, four people were selected to assist with the roles of International UU Building, Pastoral Care and Social Justice. Council agreed to advertise two more roles for Special Services and Social Activities.
A large pledge was received from Catherine Carpenter and Nima has conveyed our thanks to her.
Nima and Leigh will finalise our application for Year Two funding from the Unitarian Universalist Funding Programme for $20,000.
Council congratulated Fred, Alexios and all involved in the successful and very complicated beetle treatment project that is near completion. The sanded floors are gleaming now!
Next Council meeting: 02 May 2021. AGM: 23 May.
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