Brighton UnitariansBrighton Unitarians
NewsletterNewsletter
August 2012August 2012
Sustaining a sacred space
in the heart of Brighton
2
Welcome
We welcome all who seek a better life through spir-
itual and intellectual exploration.
We have respect for all faiths, coupled with a mod-
ern religious outlook that encourages freedom of
individual thought and conscience.
We welcome all who believe that religion is wider
than any one sect and deeper than any one set of
opinions.
We do not impose a particular creed on our mem-
bers or ministers.
We affirm the worth of all people regardless of age,
nationality, gender, sexual orientation, ability or
background.
We seek to provide strength and encouragement
for the spiritual journey and daily living.
We believe that all life on our planet is intercon-
nected.
We believe that how a person lives is a measure of
their faith.
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Pulpit arrangements for August All services start at 11 a.m.
05 Jef Jones
Piano: Nick Andrews
12 Rev Daniel Costley
Piano: Kathy Pitt
19 Estelle Taylor
Piano: Pamela Nickels
26 Rev Jane Barton
Piano: Kathy Pitt
In the evening: 6.30-7.30 p.m.: Quiet Reflection & Candle Lighting
Members and visitors are politely reminded that our church is a sacred
space. If you need to speak to others before a service starts, please do
so as quietly as possible. Thank you.
Worthing Unitarians
Worthing Unitarians meet at The Friends Meeting House, 34 Mill Road,
West Worthing, the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month at 2.45 p.m. To contact
the Worthing Minister, the Reverend Jane Barton, email bar-
[email protected] or telephone 01903 202477.
05 Reflective meeting with candle lighting
19 Portrayal of The Divine in Poetry - Reflections of
Religious Beliefs (Part 2) Eastern and Indigenous
Traditions. Speaker: Rev. Jane Barton
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Dates for your Diary (All events take place in Brighton Unitarian
Church unless otherwise stated)
Saturday 4th August, 8 p.m.: Concert by Fourth Page: improvised music that
doesn't sound like it's been improvised. Fourth Page are Charlie Beresford, Car-
olyn Hume, Peter Marsh and Paul May, who have released two albums of spon-
taneously composed songs that have drawn comparisons to the likes of David
Sylvian, Robert Wyatt, John Martyn and even Schubert. Their music is quiet,
intense and starkly beautiful, and of course each gig is a one-off experience.
"Fourth Page takes improvised music to exciting places it hasn't really been be-
fore. Stunning." (John Eyles, All About Jazz). Support comes from Boom
Logistics, the nom de plume of avant metal/ambient guitarist Simon Hopkins.
Tickets £8 (conc £6) available from http://www.wegottickets.com/
event/173976.
Saturday 11th August, 10.30 a.m. - 5 p.m.: Makers Boutique. Handmade con-
temporary arts & crafts market. E-mail [email protected] for more
information.
Friday 17th August: Auditions for singers (SATB) who would like to take part
in a unique concert in the Brighton Festival 2013. Male voices particularly re-
quired for electronic/choral performance. Rewarding experience for the right
people. Must be able to sight read but also have musicality and passion in abun-
dance. Please contact Laura on 01273 582450 to arrange a time. See poster on
page 7.
Saturday 18th August, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.: "Tote Art". An exhibition of works by
East Sussex based artist, Adrian Foord. Adrian called his work "Tote Art" as it
began after he picked up one of the small pens in a betting shop and started to
draw and has not stopped since. Themes range from film and song titles to
world events. Free entry. See poster on page 7.
Saturday 1st September, 10.30 a.m. - 5 p.m.: Makers Boutique. Handmade con-
temporary arts & crafts market. E-mail [email protected] for more
information.
Sunday 16th September, 7.30 p.m.: Kate Dyson Poetry Reading. More details
to follow. Tickets available on the door, £5. Part proceeds going towards the
church Building Appeal Fund.
Saturday 20th October: Autumn Quarterly Meeting of the London District and
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Good luck... to Kate Whyman as she begins her Ministerial Training in
Oxford, starting next month. She won’t be leaving us, so we’ll be able to keep
up to date with her in person.
Maria Curtis is leaving this month to move to Manchester, to
take up her training. We’ll keep in touch by e-mail, etc.
South Eastern Provincial Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches
(LDPA) in Horsham. More information in next Newsletter.
For more events in the UK, go to www.unitarian.org.uk/info/events.
Committee meetings are held in the evening of the second Monday of every
month (this is a recent change). If you would like to have something raised,
please see a member of the committee (see inside back page or a member in
church).
Jef Jones is available in the church on Wednesday afternoons from 1 p.m. if
you wish to see him.
VisitBrighton
This is the official Brighton tourism guide and BUC is now on it! The descrip-
tion of how our church is used - the time of services; how it’s seen as a place of
calm within the city; what a great venue it is - has got it just right.
But don’t just take our word for it, have a look for yourself: go to
http://www.visitbrighton.com/things-to-do/brighton-unitarian-church-p370331.
Let’s hope this raises our profile for anyone seeking a spiritual place or some-
where for their event or ceremony.
Broadwood Grand Piano for sale
5ft 6 in. c1895. Rosewood case, in good playing order, regularly tuned to
concert pitch. £600 including A-frame.
Contact Marion Bance on 01273 696022.
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From the Lay Leader
I was very taken by an essay called Modern Babylon written by the Arch-
bishop of Canterbury in Prospect magazine (May 2012). He says A world in
which every object is instantly capable of being rendered in terms of what it
can be exchanged for is one where there is nothing worth looking at for it-
self. He says that we are losing the time and space to be contemplative, one
of the paths to what he calls clear and compassionate self-knowledge.
This feels right to me. As the world seems to get more competitive and com-
mercial our lives seem to get more crowded and stressed. This is particularly
so during the economic downturn. So many people are tired and over-
worked.
I think I can see this in our city too. Brighton feels busier, faster and less re-
laxed than it used to. Less forgiving maybe.
In times such as these we can forget to pay attention to our souls. We can
forget to simply stop sometimes and be still.
I found an echo of Rowan William’s words in a poem called Love by the
Polish poet Czellsaw Milosz. He says :
Love means to learn to look at yourself
The way one looks at distant things
For you are only one thing among many.
And whoever sees that way heals his heart,
Without knowing it, from various ills.
A bird and a tree say to him: Friend.
Then he wants to use himself and things
So that they stand in the glow of ripeness.
The word love has many meanings but I pray for more of this kind of love
in the world, the kind of love rooted in contemplation and self-awareness, as
recommended by the Archbishop and the poet. May we take the time we
need to rest and to know ourselves. May we allow ourselves to be restored.
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Parking Space for Rent
A dedicated parking space is available Monday to Saturday with no time limits
and Sunday from 1 p.m. onwards, 365 days per year, at a rental of just £216 per
calendar month. (On occasions when the church needs to use the parking
space, e.g. weddings, funerals, etc. any NCP parking fees incurred by the hirer
will be reimbursed).
Child Naming Celebrants
Maria has been passing on her experience to a group of members who are inter-
ested in becoming celebrants at Child Namings, thereby strengthening the team.
If you have a child who you want to welcome in this way, or you know someone
who might, please get in touch.
For the parking space or Child Namings, contact Marion Bance 01273 696022
8
Winter Fair Jo Doezema has kindly offered to organise a Winter Fair at our church, to be
held on Saturday 10th November.
There will be meetings over the coming months for all those who wish to be in-
volved - announcements will be made in church notices and in the next few
Newsletters.
If you’d like to run a stall, bake a cake, donate an item or help in some other
way, please see Jo or leave a message at the church to be passed on to her.
Wanted! BUC Community Photos
We are wondering if you have any photos that we can use to add to our
web site. We are looking for images of:
- our church community
- events and activities
- people in and around our church
Please send them to [email protected] or get in touch with
Paul Taylor in church or at [email protected].
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The Great Ejection
2012 is the 350th anniversary of what became known as ‘The Great Ejection’
when nearly 2000 clergyman were ejected from the Church of England. The Act
of Uniformity, which became law on 19 May 1662, laid down that all clergymen
who had not complied with its requirements by the following 24 August would
automatically forfeit their livings or positions. The Act made compulsory the
use of the new Book of Common Prayer, much of which was not acceptable to
many puritans in the national Church.
The ejected could not remain within the national church in true conscience.
They went out into the wilderness… From these events was formed
‘nonconformity’ as a permanent feature of English religious life ... laying the ba-
sis for the religious freedom and diversity we know today.
We should not forget the courage of these men in giving up so much – including
financial security, social status, and freedom to pursue their calling. Their integ-
rity speaks out loud and clear. Many refused to keep quiet and suffered persecu-
tion in the years ahead with more punitive legislation being enacted.
About of half of current Unitarian congregations in England and Wales owe
their origins to this period of religious ferment, being founded before or as a re-
sult of the Toleration Act of 1688, when the dissenters’ right to freedom of wor-
ship was finally recognised. Many lay people followed their ministers out into
the wilderness and stood by them for many years until congregations were es-
tablished.
The above was written by Derek McAuley, Chief Officer of the General Assem-
bly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. It was copied from (and edited):
http://unitarianchiefofficer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/struggle-for-religious-
freedom-1-great.html.
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Fundraising update
Following Evelyn Hales’ recent talk, copies
of her script have been sold, raising a further
£28 and bringing the total very near to her
target of £100. This money has been put to-
wards the cost of the repair and French pol-
ishing of our newly-acquired piano. Many
thanks to all those who gave.
The last in the summer series of Lunchtime
Concerts was held on 27th July. Audience
numbers were a bit on the low side overall;
however, we heard some great music by a
variety of performers AND made money for
the Building Appeal Fund. The next series
starts in October. All details in next month’s
Newsletter.
We’ve continued to receive personal dona-
tions, for which we are very grateful.
Donations as a result of Maria’s party now
come to £1,047, which is great. Maria’s last
attendance at a service before she heads
north will be on 12th August.
Jo Doezema has kindly agreed to organise our Winter Fair. See page 8 for
more.
Tony Hulezjuk, from Focus Chartered Surveyors, has been appointed the
Project Manager for the roof repairs. His first task is to tender for the work,
which will give us a figure to aim for in our fundraising activities.
Fundraising is an ongoing activity, since our historic building requires regu-
lar maintenance and repair. The Fundraising Committee meets regularly to
discuss progress on existing projects and to think of ways to raise money.
Money raised so far
£15,289
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Brighton Unitarian Church
New Road, Brighton BN1 1UF. Tel: 01273 696022
Email: [email protected]
www.brightonunitarian.org.uk
Lay Leader, Jef Jones
incl. pastoral Tel: 01273 710452
care [email protected]
Chair Maria Curtis
c/o Brighton Unitarian Church
Treasurer Christine Clark-Lowes
Tel: 01273 602168
Secretary Pamela Nickels
c/o Brighton Unitarian Church
Administrator Marion Bance
Newsletter Christine & Francis Clark-Lowes
Tel: 01273 602168
All items for the September Newsletter
by Sunday 19th August please
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Thinking of Getting Married?Thinking of Getting Married?
Just Started Planning your Just Started Planning your
Wedding?Wedding?
Why not have your ceremony at Why not have your ceremony at
Brighton Unitarian Church? Brighton Unitarian Church?
Bookings now being taken for 2013Bookings now being taken for 2013
Contact Marion Bance on 01273 696022
Email: [email protected]
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