The UUA Board of Trustees meeting was held in New Orleans this year.  After returning home, Rev. Peter Morales wrote a blog post about his third visit to the city post-Katrina:

"The healing is not yet finished. However, it may be easier for an outsider who comes every couple of years or so to see progress more clearly. The story of our congregations in the New Orleans area is a story of resilience. Along the way they have engaged in important social justice work in the community. Our brothers and sisters in New Orleans deserve our admiration and continued support."

Read the full article.

Here are some upcoming events that may be of interest to you:

Saturday, November 19, 2011, 9am
Christmas Trees Arrive!
Work up an appetite for your upcoming Thanksgiving Dinner by helping to unload, measure, and inventory the Christmas Trees for our big sale. The trees arrive this Saturday, and help is needed. Contact the church office at 504.866.9010 or office@firstuuno.org to put your name on the list of those who will be able to help. Remember also to sign up for one or more shifts of selling trees, starting the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Saturday, November 19, 2011, 1-3 pm @ First Church
6th Session of "Resistance & Transformation" Adult Education Class:  "Religious Freedom on the Margins of Empire"
This session will be co-facilitated by Rev. Melanie, Deanna Vandiver, and Bonnie Schmidt. Our focus will be on the development of congregationalism, and on the question, "Is religious freedom a social justice issue?" You don't have to have attended any other sessions to come to this one. Materials will be available to help folks "catch up" on previous sessions.  (Please note the change in location for the next 5 sessions!) Learn More.

Sunday Worship, November 20, 2011 @ 10:30am
Thanksgiving Bread Communion Service
Join us for our annual celebration of diversity and gratitude, with every household in the church bringing bread of their culture or heritage or family background to share. This year we are also remembering those less fortunate than ourselves, by bringing non-perishable food items for the church's Food Pantry. If you are able, please remember to bring some kind of bread to share in the service, and something for the Pantry (examples: canned meats, milk, soup. & vegetables, pasta, cereals, rice, nonfat dry milk, peanut butter, jelly, honey, cooking oil, etc.). We would also be glad to have grocery certificates to be able to distribute to those in need, if you are able.

November 20, 2011 @ 12pm (after the service)
Important Congregational Town Meeting

Monday November 21st, 7pm
Movies at Max's - title TBA

When:  Dinner: 6:30 PM with Movie Viewing to begin at 7:30 PM.  Please RSVP to Max if you plan to join the group dining in: oeschgerm@yahoo.com.
Where:  3915 St. Charles Ave., Unit 613  (New Orleans)
Questions?  Call Max at(504) 895-5185 or 220-2616. 

Tuesday November 22, 6:30-7:45 pm
Feeling Ultimate Life & Love (FULL) Group

Thursday, November 24th, Thanksgiving Day
On the day when the people of our country will mark Thanksgiving, families and friends gather to count their blessings over delicious meals. In our church there may be those who do not have family nearby and who have not yet been invited to savor Thanksgiving with others. There may also be those in our church who enjoy enough bounty to invite one or two others to share with them. Please contact the church office if you need a place to go for Thanksgiving dinner, or if you have a place at your table for a friend from the church.

A message from the UU Fellowship in Napa, CA:

This is the sixth year that our little congregation has depended upon the kindness of strangers to move closer to our goal of moving from rented space to a home of our own. We are doing this by conducting “Wine Country Excursions,” inviting UUs from across the nation to stay in our homes and tour the Napa Valley, tasting wines, enjoying beautiful scenery, art and history. The proceeds from this enterprise go to the building fund.  For more information, please visit our website.

Gloria Steinem, George Takei to headline AHA 71st Annual Conference at Sheraton Hotel on Canal Street

The AHA will be honoring prolific journalist and activist Gloria Steinem with the 2012 Humanist of the Year award. Other awardees include actor George Takei, best known for his role on the television series Star Trek, and Debra Sweet, national director of the peace organization World Can’t Wait.

Mark your calendars for this exciting event.  For more information, visit the AHA website.