Dear folks,

On Sunday, May 20, there will be a special ceremony during the service to welcome all the new members who have signed the Membership Book since the last Welcome Ceremony. That Sunday, there will also be a Congregational Meeting after the service, and so it is especially important that all new and longer term members be present.

Maybe you are a "friend" of the church, or maybe you've been attending for a while and thinking about membership.  Maybe you've participated in a recent New UU luncheon session and have come to a decision about becoming a member. Or maybe you have signed the Book but can't remember if you were part of a Welcome Ceremony. Don't miss out on the ceremony on May 20th! Please contact me to let me know you want to be a member, or that you want to be part of the ceremony.

And maybe you're a member who knows a "UU without knowing it" -- a good friend or relative who is like-minded, tolerant, and seeking an open and loving spiritual community. This would be a great service to invite this person to attend to check out the church  and Unitarian Universalism.

Yours in our growing faith community,
Rev. Melanie and the Membership Team

The Inconspicuous 8 will inaugurate a series of fundraising concerts and lectures called Fridays at First on Friday, June 8, at 7:00 pm at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans, 5112 S. Claiborne Ave.

The Inconspicuous 8 is a professional women’s choral group that performs to raise money for local and national charities. This concert is entitled American Voices and features works by American composers Aaron Copland and Catherine Dalton, as well three pieces by I-8 member and composer, Dr. Louise LaBruyere.

The general public is invited and welcome. There will be light refreshments for purchase. If you have any questions, please contact Diana Gray at office@firstuuno.org or 504-866-9010.

Freewill donations will go to the church to complete the fire suppression system required for its new commercial kitchen built in conjunction with the NO/AIDS Task Force to provide meals for AIDS patients in the New Orleans community.

Y'all come and enjoy!

Back for our 8th year of making magic in New Orleans! For more info, read the brochure. Then fill out the registration form. Youth ages 14-17 can also register for E.LF.S. (Enriching Life through Fun and Service).

Hogwarts Camp is filling up fast, register soon!

The American Red Cross is looking for shelter volunteers to staff shelters in our community in the event of a hurricane evacuation or other events that may require opening shelters. Training is a free one-day, interactive workshop. Following training, volunteers are on standby and called when needed. Seasoned Red Cross volunteers serve as mentors providing more "on the job" training. The American Red Cross has tweaked some of their disaster responses in light of lessons learned from such events as Katrina and Gustav.

Please consider the opportunity to be a caring helper at a time when our fellow Louisianans need one another most. If you would like more information, look over these PDFs from the Red Cross: FAQ (frequently asked questions) and their brochure "When the Time Comes."

We have two potential days available for training for those interested: Saturday, June 16th or Saturday, June 30th. We will reserve the training date according to that which is most preferred by attendees. The event will be at First Church. Audrey Coulter and Kerry Norris are facilitating this event. Interested parties should email either Audrey (audreycoulter@yahoo.com) or Kerry (kurtsrus@gmail.com) to confirm: 1. your attendance; and 2. your preferred date for training.

Many thanks.

When: October 19, 20, 21

Where: Fountainebleau State Park

What: Rejuvenate and renew in the piney woods with friends from all three GNOUU churches. Join the fun, fellowship, games, workshops, music, and campfires.

Details and pricing coming soon.

Questions? Email Shana Walton, or "like" the Facebook page for this event to stay updated.

The month of May marks the return of our congregation to full-time equivalent ministry ("full-time equivalent" because of the shared arrangement with North Shore UU for "1/6" of my time means I will be "5/6" time at First Church). I can't tell you all how grateful I am, or how relieved I am not to have to keep track of every half-hour of my professional time! It is with joy that I return to regular office hours, increased Sundays in the pulpit, and church work as "normal."

This could not have happened without the determination of members of First Church to restore full-time ministry, as well as restore the Director of Religious Education to the church budget after our current DRE leaves her position here to go to graduate school. Members of the church went straight to work, soliciting large donations from individuals and raising funds through smaller fundraisers such as the secondline umbrellas, the Sunday morning Pancake Breakfasts, and the bamboo tile craft work. So many people were involved in this church-wide effort that if I tried to thank everyone by name I would surely leave someone important off the list. Suffice to say, this was a major effort, undertaken with little planning, and carried out successfully in a remarkably short period of time. I know I speak for members of the Board of Trustees as well when I say that I was astounded by what was accomplished. It shows what First Church is capable of "when push comes to shove."

This month, through the generosity of lots of First Churchers and much hard work fundraising, Rev. Melanie returns to full-time (equivalent) ministry with First Church. Below is her expected calendar schedule for this month.

As always, it is a good idea to call or email before dropping by the church on office days, as unexpected meetings and appointments can pop up. The office number is (504) 866-9010 and Rev. Melanie's cell phone number is (504) 708-2312. Or email her at melanie.morelensminger@gmail.com.

Minister's Office Days: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays 12 noon-5 pm (often earlier and later)
Sermon preparation day: Fridays & Saturdays
Worship on Sundays: 9:30 am-12 noon (often earlier and later)
Minister's Sabbath (only emergency calls, please): Mondays

Vacation days this month: May 3, 4, 5, 6
UUA travel this month: May 18-19 for the Holdeen India Program Advisory Board in DC; May 29-June 1 for Training as UUMA mentor in Atlanta

Meetings this month: FULL Group every Tuesday 6:30 pm; NSUU Worship Committee May 10 6:30 pm; SLUUMs lunch meeting May 17; FUUNO Board May 17 6:30 pm; FUUNO Worship team May 22 6:30 pm; wedding rehearsal May 25; NSUU Board May 26; wedding May 27.