Greetings, CTU Members and Friends –
May is an important month for our community. Please diarise Sunday, 28 May, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm for our Annual General Meeting. If you are not in Cape Town, we still want you to come online and vote! We are a democratic organisation, dedicated to love and justice, so we want you all to be part of the process to vote on key financial and strategic items, as well as elect our new council members. If you are not already an official member of CTU, please contact me to “sign the register”, so you can fully participate.
This month the theme is being with the community. We will explore how we care for each other in times of joys and sadness, and we will also welcome new members.
As always, don’t hesitate to contact me if you are in need of support. Together we are building a beautiful and beloved community.
With love and light,
Nima
nimajanettaylor@gmail.com // WhatsApp number: 0760249120
UPCOMING SUNDAY TOPICS
Please note: All services are now hybrid
7 May – Traditional Service: The Spiritual Team shares how we can better care for each other.
14 May – How Unitarianism Helped Me Hold This Space: Roux Malan, our former minister, will speak on his journey with Christianity and Zen Buddhism.
21 May – New Members Sunday: Join us as we welcome new members to our community!
28 May – Shortened service this Sunday, with lighting of the chalice and time for joys and concerns. We’ll end at 11 am in preparation for the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
“Stranger/Sister” Movie Screening and Discussion - IN PERSON
4 May, Thursday, 6:00 - 8:30 pm
64 Hout Street
Join us to watch this documentary about a Muslim woman and a Christian woman creating a movement in the United States to improve understanding between religions. You can watch the trailer here.
Yazeed Kalmadien, a Capetonian studying in America, will facilitate a dialogue after the screening about how we can improve interfaith relationships in South Africa. Yazeed is a journalist, photographer and master’s student in international peacebuilding, as well as an Odyssey Impact fellow showing documentary films focused on dialogue across different faith settings.
Cost: Free but R40 suggested donation to cover light snacks.
RSVP: Email community@capetownunitarians.org.
Somerset West Fellowship - IN PERSON
6 May, Saturday, 10:00 am
Vonke House, Chapel Room at 121 Lourensford Road
Rev. Gordon Oliver, Minister-Emeritus at the Cape Town Unitarian Church, will talk about how belief and faith are terms that have been misunderstood for centuries, and how Unitarians deal with these concepts. Gordon was the mayor of Cape Town from 1989 to 1991. He had the privilege of welcoming Nelson Mandela to the Cape Town City Hall on the day of Mandela’s release from prison in 1990. Gordon has just published his memoir, "Echoes of Memory", covering his life story, with his mayoral term as a central theme.
There is no charge for the meeting. Light refreshments will be served. Please register by contacting Dave Mayes at +27 021 850 0863, or davidjeanmayes@gmail.com.
Weekly Thursday Meditations - ONLINE
Every Thursday, 1 pm
Zoom
Nima isn't available to lead meditations in May but the Zoom link will be open every Thursday from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm for members who want to meditate together. If you're not sure how to meditate, please check out two free apps: Insight Timer or Centering Prayer. Use this Zoom link to attend the meditation time.
Council Meeting
Sunday, 7 May
12 Noon - 2:00 pm
All are welcome. Contact Nolu at community@capetownunitarians.org so she can provide the Zoom link and documents to be reviewed.
Chalice Kids - IN PERSON
We have a robust Chalice Kids education project every month. If you would like your child to participate, email Nima at nimajanettaylor@gmail.com. She will help you choose the right group for your kid(s) and share the homes where we are meeting.
Online Chalice Circle - ONLINE
20 May, Saturday, 3:30 - 5:00 pm
Zoom
Contact Nima at nimajanettaylor@gmail.com for the May packet of materials.
COMMUNITY UPDATES
Help Prepare Our Building for the AGM
We have specific, important tasks (like cleaning out bookshelves) that need to be done whenever it fits into your schedule. Please consider helping us if you have an hour or two free before 25 May.. Just Send a text to Nolu on +27 069 437 8926 to schedule a time you can volunteer in the building.
Recycle to Help Raise Funds for CTU
Bring us your talents, your treasures, your time—and now even your (recyclable) trash! Thanks to Cele and Hans, we are launching an initiative to recycle items at Imagined Earth reverse vending machines in exchange for cash, airtime and vouchers via the Imagined Earth app. Our goal is to recycle at least 50 items per month while also helping the environment and raising funds for our community. Read more on our blog to find out how you can get involved.
What Fun We Had at the Groot Constantia Wine Tasting!
Thanks to Gur Mouanga for sharing his wine work with us. We had a tour, a wine tasting and a delicious lunch together.
Buy Our Old Audio Equipment
Name your price! We have speakers, stands, microphones and more. Here are photos of each piece of equipment. If you want to buy anything, email community@capetownunitarians.org with your name, what you want to buy and what you’re willing to pay.
Where Did All Our Art and Decorations Go?
If you’ve attended a Zoom service lately or been in our building, you may have noticed the walls looking bare. This is because everything hanging on the back wall was removed when we hosted an art exhibition in February. Hans and Nolu are working on getting everything back to place in the next coming weeks. We would like to invite any volunteers to help put everything back and maybe decorate the back wall. If interested, please send a text to Nolu on +27 069 437 8926.
Have questions or comments for Council? Please email us at community@capetownunitarians.org.