UUFSMA: “Our Shared Ministry”

Sunday, January 6, 10:30am 
Our Shared Ministry
Rev. Tom Rosiello

This Sunday, the frequent guest minister Rev Tom Rosiello leads worship for the first time as the Affiliate Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of San Miguel. About two years ago, the members of this rapidly growing lay-led fellowship decided they wanted a part-time minister to assist them. After an 18-month search, the Board unanimously selected Rev. Tom Rosiello to serve as their Affiliate Minister. Rev. Rosiello, a graduate of Harvard Divinity School, retired to San Miguel after serving as minister of The First Parish of Stow and Acton in Massachusetts, where he now is Minister Emeritus.

During this week’s service, the congregation and Rev. Rosiello officially enter into this new relationship, expressing their agreement with each other in a covenant. The service will focus on the ministries we all share. Rev. Rosiello will preach on how we are all called to service and how that will be different for each of us. In the words of Frederick Buechner:

“To find our calling is to find the intersection between our own deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger, that point which allows our fullest expression even as it provides an avenue for our greatest service.”

Perhaps you have felt that calling to connect with others and find your fullest expression through service to others. Perhaps you are looking for a community where people do not have to believe alike to love alike. Or perhaps your spirit is at a low point and you need the caring ministry of others. Many opportunities to minster and to be ministered to are waiting for you.

Recently, the UU Fellowship has developed a ministry to children focused on teaching religious principles and values while having a fun time. They have an active group but would love to welcome more families with children. This would be a perfect week to visit, as our children will be involved in leading the first part of our service before they leave for their activity. With words and gestures, they will share what is at the heart of this Fellowship and this faith tradition: We are the church of the open mind. We are the church of the loving heart. We are the church of the helping hands.

The service will be enriched by music of acclaimed pianist Malcolm Halliday performing arrangements of music of the season and leading us in song.

The UU Fellowship meets every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at La Posada de la Aldea, Ancha de San Antonio 15 and welcomes people of all ages, races, religions, sexual orientation, and gender identity. For information about our Children’s Sunday Program, contact us at chris.chase1955@gmail.com. Visitors are invited to attend the service and then join the UUs for hospitality afterwards. Wheelchair accessible. For additional information, visit our web site at uufsma.org.

Our fellowship was born in 1987 when a small group of expatriate religious liberals came together to meet as Unitarian Universalists in San Miguel de Allende. The fellowship has been active and thriving ever since. Every UU church has it’s own flavor, and we are no exception. We are a combination of expats and visitors, each actively engaged and contributing to this wonderful Mexican community we love. Because there is a coming, going, and returning aspect, our spiritual community is extremely fluid.  There is a magic in San Miguel which draws us in and binds us together—both as members of the church and of the larger community. Our programming is led by visiting ministers, community leaders, and church members, so the variety is lively. We have opportunities to meet as UU’s each week at discussion groups, breakfasts, luncheons, and in various other ways. Depending on the season, attendance fluctuates between 40 and 140. Our primary focus is on funding social action within the surrounding community. We love good music, good discussion, good food, and having visitors. We invite you to join us any Sunday morning.

Members regularly post updates and information on this site. We also post meeting minutes and announcements there.

To join our Yahoo group site click on this link:

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/UUFSMA/info

Click on “membership”and follow the directions.

Posting a notice on the Yahoo site is easy. Just go to your regular mail browser, type in the address line: uufsma@yahoogroups.com , type your message and hit send!

We encourage you to use this site to communicate with other local UUs.