Photo by Shereen Jacobs
Greetings, CTU Members and Friends –
In November, our theme will be wisdom.
Thank you to everyone who donated, shopped and wrapped our 10 Santa Shoeboxes! They will be taken to the organisation the first week in November, and ten children will be delighted to get all the goodies!
Please share your support and care for Fred Benning and family as they grieve the passing of his brother Leo. Leo Benning was a long- time member of CTU, and a healthy exercise advocate. He even got our members out and walking after many services. He will be missed.
With love and light,
Nima
nimajanettaylor@gmail.com // WhatsApp 076 024 9120
In This Issue of the Newsletter
Check out our events page to view our church calendar. This includes events posted in the building and outside of the building. If you would like your event added, please contact us at via email: community@capetownunitarians.org
Sunday Services
Calendar of Events: Somerset West Fellowship, Thanksgiving Gathering, Mid-week Meditations, Chalice Kids, Community Choir
Council Updates
UPCOMING SUNDAY TOPICS
Please note: All Sunday services are hybrid and start at 10:30 am
3 November – Wisdom in our bodies with Nima. Are we listening to our bodies? What is it telling us and how do we respond? There is wisdom held in our bodies, if we learn to listen. We explore together how best to listen and respond to the wisdom of our bodies.
10 November - Madeleine/Jabulani: My initiation experience. Join us for some reflections on psychedelics and animist practices as a pathway to healing. Whether you know her as Georgia, George, Jabulani or Madeleine, our resident shaman and shapeshifter will be sharing some insights into developments in her spiritual journey over the past 5 years, which has culminated thus far in a deeply healing journey with the psychedelic Iboga during which she freed her heart and caught a glimpse of enlightenment
17 November - Roux and Gur: our Burundi Unitarian conference recap: Come hear about Roux and Gur’s awesome trip to Burundi to the first African Unitarian conference post-COVID. They will have photos and stories to share about gathering with our fellow African Unitarians, and learning from each other.
24 November: Cultivating Gratitude, with Hans and Nima: In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we’ll be exploring the practice of Gratitude, including a Bring and Share with a Thanksgiving theme!
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
Saturday 10 am 2 November
Vonke House, Chapel Room at 121 Lourensford Road
Guest Speaker: Sarah Rule
Sarah is a priest in the Roman Catholic Womenpriests movement in South Africa. She lives in Lynedoch, outside Stellenbosch, and ministers to the Open Table faith community in Lynedoch and also in Cape Town. Sarah has a Master's degree in Theology. She has also worked for many years in the disability sector, working for inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society, including the Church. Sarah has a passion for working for social justice, including advocating for the Roman Catholic Church to recognise that God calls women to ordained ministry, both as deacons and as priests.
Sarah will speak about her experiences of advocating for the recognition of women's vocations to ordained ministry in Rome in 2023, together with the international organisation, Women's Ordination Worldwide. Both in October 2023 and October 2024, there have been Synod gatherings at the Vatican in Rome which in some ways have been ground-breaking e.g. including lay people and women as members of the Synod gathering. With Women's Ordination Worldwide and Roman Catholic Womenpriests USA, Sarah participated in a number of creative and prayerful actions outside the Vatican to raise awareness of women's call to priesthood and to be deacons. Sarah will reflect on these experiences in her talk.
Cost: Free, as well as free light refreshments.
We are limited to having 30 attendees. That means you will need to sign up for each meeting when it is publicised. You can do this by phoning us on 021 850 0863 or emailing davidjeanmayes@gmail.com
Thanksgiving Gathering
Sunday 24 November
12 noon through 4pm
64 Hout street, Cape Town
“Fear sees limits, while love sees possibilities. Each attitude will be justified by the belief system you cherish. Change your allegiance from fear to love, and love will sustain you wherever you walk. A Course in Miracles tells us, “Love cannot be far behind a grateful heart and thankful mind …These are the true conditions for your homecoming.”
~ Louise L. Hay,
Gratitude: A Way of Life
Please join us in a hybrid American-South African homecoming, where we gather with grateful hearts and share in a celebratory banquet. We kindly request that you bring a culinary dish to the communal offering, if you are able to 🍽🧡🙏🏽
Please contact Hans via WhatsApp +27721276497 if you have any inquiries on what to contribute. Any excess, sweet dessert entries will be confiscated by Hans 😋😜🦄 We are striving to have a representative balanced offering, of sweet and savoury dishes 🙏🏽
Thank you!
Midweek Meditation (on break)
Note that there will be no Midweek Meditations in November because Nima is out of the country for two weeks.
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.
CTU Community Choir
Council Updates
The Council will meet at 12 - 2 pm SA time on Sunday 3 November. All are welcome. If you would like to attend, email Nolu at community@capetownunitarians.org for the agenda and documents to be discussed. All are welcome.
Have questions or comments for Council? Please email us at community@capetownunitarians.org.