Photo by Brigitte Pegado on Unsplash
Greetings, CTU Members and Friends –
Our theme for December is Celebrating Blessings, and we have much to celebrate this year.
Our fundraising team continues doing excellent work, looking for many ways to financially support our community. We welcome your legacy gifts, and pledges in memoriam, so thank you for considering including the Unitarian Church, Cape Town in your will. Please let us know how we can best serve you in your plans.
In December we bring our annual Pledge Campaign to a close. Please consider increasing your monthly pledge or, if not yet pledging, making a monthly contribution. Any amount makes a big difference! Contact me to find out more.
Lastly, thank you to everyone who helped Nolu and her family start to rebuild their lives after their family home in Khayelitsha burned to the ground. We are grateful no one was harmed in the fire. As a result, some of you know that Nolu has taken a higher paying full-time job to support her family's financial needs. However, Nolu emphasised that she is still very much a part of CTU, and we are working on possible part-time work for her.
With love and light,
Nima
nimajanettaylor@gmail.com // WhatsApp 076 024 9120
In This Issue of the Newsletter (check out our new Google Calendar of events/activities in the building: Event/Activities at 64 Hout Street and CTU events/activities outside the building or online: Events/Activities NOT at 64 Hout Street)
Sunday Services
Calendar of Events: Somerset West Fellowship, Festive Service, Community Choir, mid-week meditations
Community Corner
UPCOMING SUNDAY TOPICS
Please note: All Sunday services are hybrid and start at 10:30 am
3 December – Prison, Justice and the Law, with Justice Edwin Cameron: Join us for this very special Sunday with Edwin Cameron, as he speaks on “Prisons, Social Justice and the Law”. We encourage you to invite your network of any friends and family who might be interested in this important topic. The flyer below can be downloaded from the CTU community WhatsApp group.
Edwin Cameron is a former Justice of the Constitutional Court, SA's highest court, who in 2019 retired after 25 years of service as a judge. In his long tenure, Justice Cameron oversaw and ruled on several landmark cases and was considered an important member of the Court’s progressive wing. He has authored or contributed to numerous publications, including his own moving personal account, Edwin Cameron: Witness to AIDS (2005), which detailed his life and work as a person living with HIV in South Africa. In 2019, he was then elected Chancellor of Stellenbosch University. He was also appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to serve as the Inspecting Judge of Correctional Services.
10 December – Festive Service NOTE SERVICE STARTS AT 6 PM (Therefore NO morning service): Join together at our annual gathering celebration this time of year and our beloved community. We are asking anyone who is able: please bring a dish to share. Contact Nima with what you would like to bring, so we won’t end up with only malva puddings 😉
17 December – Each Night a Child Is Born is a Holy Night, with Gur Mouanga and Camille Hatton: The traditional Christmas story honours the abundant joy experienced when a baby comes into the world. Come join us with song and celebration and storytelling as we affirm, that each night a child is born, is a holy night.
24 December - Summer Solstice, with Cele Esau: Join us for this special service as we shift from the longest days of the year back around to the shortest. The summer solstice is often a time of new beginnings when we can experience an opportunity to connect with the fiery energy of the sun and harness its warmth and power for personal growth and transformation.
31 December - How Do We Manifest? with Leigh Meinert: How do we attract more of what we want in the new year? Leigh Meinert will lead an exploration of different approaches to manifestation. Please bring your practices and wisdom with you.
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
Somerset West Fellowship - IN PERSON
2 December, Saturday, 10:00 am
Vonke House, Chapel Room at 121 Lourensford Road
Guest Speaker: Rev. Roux Malan
Topic: Pastoral Care
Roux will share how the mindfulness teachings of Zen Buddhism informed and changed his Christian beliefs and how the Unitarian way empowered him to do so. He will also answer any questions you may have about Christianity, Buddhism, and/or Unitarianism. He will start and end with a short mindfulness exercise.
COST: Free, as well as free light refreshments.
RSVP: Contact Dave Mayes at 021 850 0863, or davidjeanmayes@gmail.com
Wardrobe Rejuvenation Sessions
5, 12, and 19 December, Tuesday, 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
64 Hout Street
Wardrobe rejuvenation sessions led by Annie Akinyi Kamya consist of knowing the basics of sewing. Machine stitch can be taught if you provide your domestic machine. The main skills will be hand-stitching (basic, blanket, secret, cross); crochet; knitting; embroidery; pattern reading and making; and basic tailoring (hemming, etc.).
Cost: R100 per lesson
RSVP: Email missaakamya@gmail.com
Please bring your own machine if you have and the item(s) you would like to repair or knitting needles, Crochet hooks, etc. to practise.
CTU Community Choir-Hybrid
Every Wednesday, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
64 Hout Street and Online
Camille Hatton invites everyone to join our hybrid Community Choir rehearsals. All are welcome irrespective of experience or ability. Each week we will explore some UU hymns, other congregational style hymns, and work on a repertoire for upcoming services. If you have questions, contact Camille at camillemhatton@gmail.com or on WhatsApp at +1 831 345 6128.
December
Bring and Share
We hope you will attend
Christmas Eve Dinner - IN Person
24 December, Sunday, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
64 Hout Street
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
Mark 10:13-16
We come together in celebration of the birth of a very special man and friend to all, who lived the values of compassion, selflessness, forgiveness and unconditional love. Please join us, as we share in our belonging, as we dine together, connect in conversation, and sing Christmas carols to sound out joy and lift spirits.
Please bring a dish and/or beverage to share.
Contact Hans via WhatsApp +27721276497 if you have any questions or require guidance.
Chalice Kids - IN PERSON
Dragon Day
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.
COMMUNITY CORNER
We celebrated a joyous hybrid US/ZA Thanksgiving together! It was a delicious spread!
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Thanks to everyone for a great braai at Nima’s house in November.
It was definitely a group effort!
Nima’s Braai
Fun for all ages!
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We celebrate Cele on their achievement of 17 plasma donations this year!
The Western Cape Blood Services is always in need of more blood and plasma donors. Feel free to sign up today and begin giving back with your literal blood, sweat, and tears (or at least your blood). You can find out more at The Western Cape Blood Services
COMMUNITY UPDATES
Council meeting will be Sunday 3 December 13:00 - 15:00 to finalise the 2024 Budget. Contact Nima if you’d like to attend, so you can receive the documents.
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A Message From Your Communications Committee
We have a media consent form and would love your help ensuring all members sign it! In essence, we want to begin gathering and sharing more memories digitally. However, we also strongly believe that each person has a right to refuse to have their images shared online. Please take a moment and fill out our media consent form so we can begin sharing our memories online.
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Volunteer Opportunities - Please Share Your Time and Talents with CTU!
Our (Growing!) Communications Committee is always looking for people who can write, edit, photograph and create graphics. Contact Altaira or Camille on WhatsApp at +1 831 345 6128.
Join the Social Justice committee by contacting Cele on 082 433 8815.
Help with events by contacting Hans on 072 127 6497.
Have questions or comments for Council? Please email us at community@capetownunitarians.org.